Yea-Ming and the Rumours-Residue

Four albums into their consistent run, Yea-Ming & the Rumours have released their most provocative and pop-forward album yet with Residue. It's no secret that we all hear and experience music differently. It's all part of what makes the artistic world go round. We come to our favorite musicians and groups with certain expectations and on different levels of degrees. Whether it's a major stadium act adorned by millions by or a cult musician who seems tied down by work obligations, it's what keeps us anticipating new albums and searching the internet for show and/or tour announcements. Additionally, we have our preferred phases of our favorites and embrace their "return to form"-whatever subjective form that is.

Sidetracks

Stepping back from what makes listeners feel comfortable, allows musicians space for growth, development and surprise. Being multi-faceted, flexible, and versatile are still part of the criteria used to assess artists. While the Ramones perfected their formula early on and pretty much remained the same before eventually aging out, Blondie took a different trajectory. What if Blondie just stayed in their Lower East Side lane and never merged to bring seemingly disparate elements together for some of the most remarkable pop music of the 20th century? Both bands eventually became legendary, influential and iconic (i.e., t-shirts) which testifies we cannot make very valid or accurate assessments amidst the activity. Time and distance are required for comparison, contrast and reassessment.

Yea-Ming Chen, Photo by Corey Poluk

I came into Residue with an initial reaction regarding the denser production values and I left with the realization that Yea-Ming and the Rumours are making their own way, while striking a balance between the adventurism of Blondie and the straightforwardness of the Ramones. For instance, "Sweet Opiate," a slinky and shimmering dance pop song with a Cardigans/St. Etienne slant, makes clear sense in the context of a group diversifying their sound and expanding their range, while “Uncommon Dreaming” works for those who prefer them tapping into their innate strengths of twangy folk-rock-pop.

Things truly kicked in for me on "Waist" with its resonating line: “Oh, it’s been quite a year” and then a big smile broke over my face when I heard the dashing "Cold." It might be the best song of 2026! It reminded me of a Fastbacks number played by the Feelies! A joyous rush is felt in one vibrant sunburst of a song (albeit with stormy lyrics). Just as this punchy song gets up to full speed, it detours for one of the most charming organ solos ever.

“Cold” is also the transition point that sets the scene for the rest of the album. The second half of the record casts a melancholic, subtle and understated atmosphere, yet the songs retain an innate sense of catchiness and hope through the Darklands. Additionally, these finely-crafted songs are built with high structural integrity as this is arguably the most accomplished version of the Rumours. For instance, the sparkling and spiraling lap steel solo on “Uncommon Dreaming” could be Eóin Galvin’s finest recorded moment.  

 

The album takes on an additional hushed atmosphere a la Cindy on “Birds Fly Home.” Cyclical themes of personal & artistic authenticity contend with contradiction, compromise, the pull of the past, multiple standards and expectations as Yea-Ming musically pauses to gather her thoughts over the course of the second side. After this acknowledgement of cognitive dissonance, reconciliation and transformation can begin again with the human and humble admission of “Mistakes” made. This austere closer, featuring Yea-Ming’s ornate fingerpicking, also evokes Dear Nora’s moving cover of Dylan’s “Girl from the North County.”

As many young bands around the globe now emulate the ‘80s & ‘90s heyday of indie-pop and crash pop, Yea-Ming and the Rumours maintain their unmistakable, yet welcoming sounds. Operating from a perspective of possibility, Yea-Ming demonstrates the remarkable ability to further evolve and refine as she incorporates additional life experiences, lessons and musical approaches, while also retaining the youthful sense of wonder and undeniable melodies that attracted listeners in the first place. With Residue, Yea-Ming has taken another courageous turn and listeners can go along with her quest for understanding.  For me, it took a little longer this time around due to my own production preferences, but I’m thankful for the reckoning as there is really no other group out there like this in the world. 

L to R: Eóin Galvin: lead guitar, lap steel, Yea-Ming Chen: vocals, guitar, organ, Rob Good: bass
Luke Robbins: drums. Photo by Corey Poluk

Addendum, I added their cover of “Pale Blues Eyes” as a bonus track on the CD-R version I made following the path of the Feelies when they concluded Only Life with “What Goes On."

Orange Paw

All signs and signifiers point in the direction for this to be an overall good listening experience where you stream a few times while you take in the mountainous graphic design motif and contemplate the use of uppercase 1995 typewriter font for the band’s name and album title before striking out to explore other sounds. However, the unanticipated chords and halting melodies entice one to “stay awhile” longer and absorb the sonic waves stretching out to the horizon. Orange Paw is a solo effort from Mara Williams who is best known for being a member of Melbourne's Pink Tiles. While the overall sound, coated with abundant echo, contains aspects of what was once called noise pop or crash pop, there is an entrancing intangible quality which slopes towards the Aislers Set or the Mountain Rock of Dear Nora. Further, the fidelity might be so low that you can hear the interceding fan of a 2006 laptop in it, yet these ambient parts add up to be part of the greater cohesive whole.

Listeners are lead through the loops and leaps of uneven emotional terrain on "D D D Dorothy" with its ascending and descending melodies lightly wound around surefooted chords and reassuring harmonies in the air. The jaunty “Runaway” is an instrumental gem that stands on the shoulders of giants like “Sacramento” by Heavenly with a dash of the Dunedin sound. Picking up the pace is “Alejandro” and in the hands of a full band, this could be a surging Tra La La song and touted by Shredding Paper (if that outstanding zine was still around).

"Karoke Song” (Song for Raj) heads into to Yea-Ming & the Rumours territory where sparkling night skies are highlighted by falling stars of steel guitar and "Love is Love" by Culture Club plays off in the distance from a transistor radio. “Rockbeare Park” features Tiger Trap crossing paths with the Carpenters, Bread, and the Shirelles. The moody minor key melodies comprising the verses of “Real Big Kid” reminds me of “I Won’t Be the Same Without Her” (composed by Goffin & King and recorded by the Warner Brothers and the Monkees) before heading into an insouciant sounding chorus along the lines of that dog or Dressy Bessy. Throughout Orange Paw, Mara Williams delivers her melodic sensibilities in strong, sure and swift strokes which catch the light through the shifting dynamics and dimensions of Melbourne’s coastal haze.