Adam Yas’ voice sits slightly behind in the mix on “Mosquito And The Iron Bull” while his delicately intricate guitar work carries the melody in sync with the subtle rhythm. At least until a third a way through the song when the song elevates dramatically and layers of synth hover in and out to accent the emotional build that Yas commandingly marshals like natural forces to boost the climax of the song where his own voice rises to declare what feels like both praise and criticism of the object of the song’s lyrics: “Breathless/No one is/As charming/Or as starving as you are/No one will be half/As charming/Or as starving as you are.” It’s the kind of song that sounds like something from a super hero comic or an epic fantasy, written by one of the more poetry-minded characters commenting on a friendship that has hit the rocks. But earlier in the song it sounds like maybe there was more than a friendship being described when Yas sings “I ain’t following you home/I’ve been leaving you alone/I want no part of your fantasy/Please go.” Was there a romantic relationship there that ended with the two people remaining friends until one can no longer fool themselves into being under the spell of a seductive charm that maybe be enchanting at first but whose luster fades even as the appeal lingers? Difficult to definitively say what the inspiration behind the song might be but it has the flair of a lively flamenco song and it conveys a sense of horns playing out in Flamenco style but it’s a trick of hearing and expectation. In that way this song is reminiscent of something DeVotchKa might do but with more electronic components that give the mood a kind of momentum and lends the song an air of the mythological. Listen to “Mosquito And The Iron Bull” on YouTube and follow Adam Yas on Spotify.
Queen City Sounds and Art 
You must be logged in to post a comment.