Ready or Not: It’s the Year of the Locust! – Review of YOTL latest self-titled EP

Ready or Not: It’s the Year of the Locust

I remember seeing Year of the Locust at Bogart’s in Cincinnati, OH just over a year ago when they opened for Starset on their Immersion Part 1 tour. I had never heard of them before that show, but I have never forgotten about them since. Vocalist Scot McGiveron, bassist Fred Serrell, drummer Dusty Winterrowd, and guitarists Tyler Hensley & Cody Hyde left quite an impression. They came out and commanded the stage and delivered an energetic and engaging performance. These guys had pure passion and impressive musicality that grabbed the crowd’s attention and didn’t let it go.

Year of the Locust has swarmed into 2019 with a major US tour with Tesla and the release of a new self-titled EP that will impress the hell out of you. It’s only four songs, but they are all four brilliant songs that showcase the incredible talent of this motley collection of personalities from the American Northeast. Hailing from NYC, Washington Dc, and West “By God” Virginia, the band’s sound has come into its own under the watchful eye of producer/guitarist Brain Bonds.

The EP kicks off with the first single “Stay Alive” which features Troy Lucckette (Tesla) and Brian Bonds (Florida Georgia Line). “‘Stay Alive’ is a redemption song; when you think it’s time to give up is just the best time to turn it up,” says Scot McGiveron (Vocals). “Troy is so creative and brought so much energy to the drum track, while Brian’s energy and guitar-play is just always so powerful.” It has a strong rhythm and an infectious hook that makes it a perfect way to start the EP.

The second song, “Line Em Up”, slides into the more southern side of rock. It’s saucy and sexy and has a swagger that shows the true musicality of these five guys. Song number three is my personal favorite – an impassioned rock ballad called “Whispers in the Dark.” I guess I’m a sucker for the softer side of tough guys, but I found this song absolutely breathtaking. The instrumentation is more subdued allowing McGiveron’s vocal range to shine. The lyrics are gripping and gorgeous. The EP closes with “Sorry” – not quite a ballad, but not quite a hard and heavy rock jam either. It’s a crazy cool combination of the two with an unusual infusion of spoken phrases almost as subliminal messages in the melody. It’s not like anything I’ve heard before. It makes the song even more interesting.

It’s clear that Year of the Locust has developed a lot in the last three years since their debut album Devolver was released. This EP shows maturation and mastery of their craft and has resulted in a phenomenal production of rock and roll music.