Album review: Crome Yellow - No Friends or Mirrors

With infectiously catchy melodies and a laidback ambience, Crome Yellow's noteworthy brand of chilled out indie toes the line between 1960s rock influences, 2000s alt-rock and pop funk throughout No Friends or Mirrors.

An outfit with a steady fanbase in their native Waterford, they've built their following since their 2014 origins - evolving to a distinctly soporific, moodier sound while retaining their mellow vibe. Opening with '2.0', the relaxed opener emerges with catchy riffs and strong lyrics. Marking themselves out from the start as a versatile act, the album becomes slightly less broad in terms of genre as it progresses.

Blending sounds of decades past with modern influences, it's unsurprising that Crome Yellow have compared to the Republic of Loose. Their feel-good flavour of expressiveness is what brings the body of work to life. With a progressively leisurely momentum, No Friends or Mirrors embraces Crome Yellow's ability to unwind within their own music.

Bringing a carefree ease along the lines of Bombay Bicycle Club, Everything Everything and Mystery Jets; Crome Yellow manage to forge an indie soundtrack to an imaginary post-Covid world of self-awareness and nostalgia. Highlights include 'Don't Really Want To Know Ya', The Ballad of John Who Can't Open His Eyes' and 'Instant Replay'.

The band's more up-tempo, memorable melodies especially evoke a natural anticipation for Crome Yellow's future. With soothing vocals and observant lyrics, the album is sure to gain them more fans.

Listen to No Friends or Mirrors in full below:

https://open.spotify.com/album/737nbOXyFosDJnHRFG6PL6?si=MRdtV1wpQTWYDBwhSaMOpQ