Folk - Rock Review: Yogi Lang-A Way Out Of Here

Release Date: Nov. 8, 2019
Label: Gentle Art Of Music
Website: www.yogilang.com

It’s a lazy Sunday morning, and Yogi Lang’s newest songs play in the background, as the chores are getting done. This album is something crossed between easy listening music and kickass motivational rock. It’s just a little something to get your head bobbing in the early hours of the day. Lang does a great job of taking the listener on a journey since each track brings something new and exciting to the table. So, wherever you are, turn the volume up, and get ready for A Way Out Of Here.

The first track “Move On” is almost theatrical, at a whopping nine minutes long. From the soft intro to the various music breaks, to the artist “locking the door” at the end, Lang puts on nothing less than a spectacular show. It’s fitting since each song provides a different experience than the previous one.

“Shine On Me” and “Freedom Of The Day” are great tracks for those fall road trips, and have a soft rock sound similar to The Goo Goo Dolls. “Love Is All Around” has a distinct grunge rock sound to it at the beginning, but the vocals weren’t the right fit for the track. The vocals were lacking the energy that that track could have used to take it to the next level. “I’ll Be There For You” is the last track of the album, and it wraps up the “theatrical production” quite nicely. It feels like the end credit track of a movie because of the background vocalists and full orchestral section. There are cool cosmic synth elements that make you feel like you’re in another dimension, which might allude to why the album is titled A Way Out Of Here, but then again, that’s just speculation.

Overall, A Way Out Of Here is a colorful album, combining elements of folksy country and alternative rock. Lang creates a comfortable atmosphere with his smooth vocals and carefree acoustic intros. It’s a rare thing to hear live instruments used on tracks today, but Torsten Weber does an incredible job playing the guitar and gives the tracks an authentic rock sound. It’s refreshing to see an album that incorporates so many genres and doesn’t happen to sound like the same song being played on repeat with different lyrics. In fact, you probably wouldn’t be able to recognize that it was the same artist if you were to blindly listen to two different tracks off the album. So, take a listen to the album. You might even be surprised by what an adventure it will take you on.

Key Tracks Include: “A Way Out Of Here”, “Move On”, “I’ll Be There For You”, and “The Sound Of The Ocean” 

Lily Clark – Berklee College of Music Intern
October 6, 2019

Tracks:  
1. Move On
2. A Way Out Of Here
3. Shine On Me
4. Don’t Confuse Life With A Thought
5. Love Is All Around
6. Freedom Of The Day
7. Early Morning Light
8. The Sound Of The Ocean
9. I’ll Be There For You