Yukon - well, whatever happens, happens

Yukon is the musical alias of Alec Troise, singer-songwriter based in Staten Island, New York. His new EP, well, whatever happens, happens, is seven songs in duration and as summarised by Alec himself, “the EP is about girls, girl, despising the fact I live in NYC, ghosts, Johnny Foreigner references, girls, drowning, deer, whatever.” There is a distinct feeling of being in limbo, not quite ready to move on but not at all comfortable being stuck in the memories of the way things used to be.

Opening with I’m Sorry I’m Such An Idiot, the lo-fi production becomes apparent very quickly with his choice of a four-track tape recorder. Borrowing sonic elements from Casiotone for the Painfully Alone, the monophonic style and use of spoken word, he sets the tone for the gruff honesty to come, with his straightforward, no flowery language bullshit, narrative. The lyrics are as direct and as genuine as the emotions that have inspired them.

One of the highlights of the EP is Doe Eyes, seven minutes of diffused fuzz flecked strums, the hazy guitar adding an element of blunt realism which then abruptly plunges into a repeated scream of ‘you are the colour of a great ending’, a reference to Yr Loved by Johnny Foreigner, a noted favourite band of Alec’s.

Following this track comes Summer ’06 at Brian’s Lakehouse, though short in duration, it showcases Alec’s ability to take true stories and assort them into a well-versed format.

Self-titled track, well, whatever happens, happens, with its brutal lyrics matching its brutal delivery, stands out as another a notable moment in the EP. The repetition of “well, whatever happens, happens. well I can’t change that, well I can’t change myself” succinctly sums up Yukon’s sound, the set of lyrics acting as a string running through the multitude of themes that Alec explores in the space of his seven songs.

The EP concludes with a stripped back version of Doe Eyes taken from his session with Village Basement. Though lacking in the 90s emo tinged vibe that the previous version offered, it demonstrates the malleability of the track, still feeling fresh on the ears despite the two versions being only four songs apart.

Though Yukon is still a solo project in its infancy, Alec has created a significant dent with this EP in his slowly developing sound that, with future recordings, will hopefully become much more refined into a distinct sound that will become a staple to our soundtracks of heartbreaks to come. 

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Jess Rahman