This genre is one that usually gets a solid review from me, as it’s a particular favourite of mine. This song is going to join the ranks of solid reviews.

Christie, Josh, Olivia and Charlie are the global phenom that is Yumi Zouma, and they are an absolutely heavenly indie pop act. All Kiwis, they are spread between the glorious capital Wellington, my favourite American city New York, my one-time home LAHNDAHN! (London, of course) and Australia’s rock city, Melbourne. The first promo single from their newly released album No Love Lost To Kindness is the whimsically titled Cowboy Without A Clue.

And whimsical it is indeed! We’ve got the hallmarks of a band that knows how to stamp itself onto the audio receptors of the fanbase for indie music, Britpop, guitar pop and a number of associated genres. There’s a light yet insistent rhythm to the thing – almost making me think of a Johnny Cash style train a’ rollin’ thudding, but this is softer and rolls instead of actually thudding, way more pop and not actually dark country at all. Listen to it and you’ll follow, because I want you to make sense of why I raised the name Johnny Cash at all!

It’s got the nicely mixed and effected (not affected, I am on about the use of effects) guitars, a sweet tinge of reverb and delay, with the potential for jangliness (new word? Eat yer heart out Shakespeare!) curbed with admirable discipline. The bottom end is warm, and that beat is deceptive in that it’s a mid-tempo number yet retains a lively vibe that helps the whimsical feel to the overall product.

Christie’s vocals are awesome. I do hear a slight Ladyhawke resemblance, however Christie‘s timbre is less mezzo and more soprano. The vocal delivery here is ethereal without being breathy. It’s full, and powerful when required to be. There’s a fair bit of nicely performed backing vocal to layer underneath the lead, and together they deliver a really entertaining melody. You’ll be ear wormed by the chorus – I guarantee.

Production looks to have possibly happened in the capital…? My long-time mate Troy Kelly at the Armoury in Wellington has been involved with some engineering, alongside Josh and Charlie, who also produced along with Christie. Mixing was done by Simon Gooding and the polishing up with the Mastering by Antoine Chabert. All in all a profound team effort, and the quality of that many wise and experienced heads shows. Invest in quality desk pilots kids, let this be your lesson for today!

We’ve got fabulous orchestration and add-ons, such as some sitar care of Kumar Kishore. It’s got lovely layering, gentle and not too much. The melody is catchy and memorable. The orchestration clever and uncluttered, yet full and meaty. I couldn’t possibly think of a bad word to say about this track – so if it’s a sign of the things to come on the album I am going to indulge in depth immediately, TBH.

There’s a nice meaning behind the lyrics. From the EPK:

Long-distance relationships are tough. Despite deep roots and genuine intentions, maintaining positivity and meaning can be challenging. For us, distance has defined our creativity and friendship for over a decade, though we’ve never directly tackled this theme in our music until now. So for ‘Cowboy Without A Clue,’ we imagined the ultimate long-distance relationship in the year 2099, with a cowboy on Earth and an astronaut on Pluto navigating their distance as a metaphor for what it feels like to be apart from the one you love – trying to stay in touch despite the impossible distance, time zones, and technological hiccups. Trying to distract yourself and get by, but still thinking, looking down on earth, and wondering if they’re thinking of you too. Going on tour and leaving someone at home while you chase your dreams and follow your passions. Being in two very different worlds.”

This is going to be aired all over the world. The band is gaining enough of a name for me to proclaim this. This will be VERY much enjoyed and supported in the UK, Ireland, Europe and I suspect the likes of Japan, Philippines and South Korea. You’ll hear it on the radio, on commercial, student, regional and all sorts of channels.

I’ve given this a big write-up. I don’t care, because it’s worth it. It gives us the audio evidence of a great commercially savvy Kiwi band on the top of their game, delivering the goods despite the tyranny of distance (thanks for that one Messrs Finn).

It’s out on all platforms now, so give it a listen. Jacko gives eleven out of ten. For your own listening, I think this is suited to a whole raft of occasions: house party or higher class home entertaining; going for a run; roadie; BBQ with some stubbies; workout at the gym; commuting on the choo choo… yeah, endless. Yay!