Few musicians are as dedicated to their craft as yeule. Balancing a part-time painting career with their performances, this art-punk icon creates immersive audio-visual experiences both in the studio and on stage, and their latest release is no exception. Drawing inspiration from the dark, bizarre, and surreal realms envisioned by Polish artist Zdzisław Beksiński, alongside the murky depths of yeule’s own sonic landscape and personal narratives, ‘Evangelic Girl is a Gun’ serves as a collage of glitch and grandeur, blending destruction with delicacy, presenting our most comprehensive view of yeule (as both artist and individual) to date.
Kicking off with the resonant, Mura Masa-produced ‘Tequila Coma’, yeule introduces us to the dark yet divine character central to ‘Evangelic Girl is a Gun’ through subtle trip-hop influences and vocal shifts reminiscent of Caroline Polachek. This is followed by the Bowie-inspired ‘The Girl Who Sold Her Face’, where yeule explores the darker aspects of fame. “Did you see the video where I livestreamed from my car?” they inquire, “I drank blood and chewed on bones, and I was finally a star.”
This track solidifies one of the key themes present in ‘Evangelic Girl Is A Gun’: the perpetual intertwining of beauty and corruption. Throughout the album, yeule juxtaposes images of flawless porcelain and tiaras adorned with diamonds with elements of ugliness, decay, and murkiness, unapologetically spitting grime onto satin dresses. They cover traumas and demons threatening to resurface with a layer of gloss and the occasional electric guitar flourish.
‘Eko’ continues this theme, as yeule sings of an insane girl, digging through their mind while synths and shimmering sounds swirl around their vocals. “She’s rotting, crystal, diamond, shining,” they sing, followed by “Trauma, shaking, shining, darling.” Even as yeule pairs the toxicity of their thoughts with beautiful imagery, they never fully obscure it, and with each track, the titular girl increasingly resembles a gun, aiming directly at yeule.
yeule briefly revisits 1967 in a track bearing the same name, juxtaposing distorted soundscapes with repeated lamentations for “Boys who want to die,” before slowing the tempo with ‘VV’. This cryptic track sheds the previous angst, blending yeule’s vocals with plucked strings and a steady beat. The lyrics offer a moment of solace, being the album's sole true love song, but the contrasts between the ugly and the beautiful persist.
‘Dudu’ adopts a somewhat lighter vibe, featuring bright indie-pop melodies and repetitive phrases of its title. “I’ll run this race and sing a song for you,” yeule sings, hinting at something more sinister lurking beneath the surface. More love surfaces in ‘What3vr’, but it’s not as innocent as earlier in the album. Yeule's lyrics describe a more toxic love that brings tears and leaves blood behind. “What the fuck is wrong with you?” they ask, “Don’t you know who loves you?”
Teaming up with the in-demand producer A.G. Cook from PC Music for ‘Saiko’, yeule amplifies the themes explored in ‘What3vr’. “Took some pills and told me, ‘I love you unlike anyone,’” yeule sings, “He’s smiling back at me with vampire teeth, behind a bulletproof screen.” Cook's signature synths combine with gun sounds and ethereal moments, each sonic choice reflecting the apparent love and manipulation in yeule’s narrative.
As the album nears its conclusion, yeule presents the title track, the irresistibly cool ‘Evangelic Girl Is A Gun’. “Scream at the sun, cry when you come, evangelic girl is a gun,” yeule proclaims. They return to the image of the flawless yet poisoned girl and the sacrificial blood industry with a pulsing beat, endless glitches, and euphoric distortion. It is undoubtedly the standout track of the album—definitely worth repeating.
‘Evangelic Girl Is A Gun’ wraps up with ‘Skullcrusher’, another moody tribute to trip-hop, filled with chilling glitches and screeches that build to a dramatic peak. It’s dark and somber, yet beautiful, serving as a fitting finale to the album.
If yeule aimed to recreate the experience of looking at a Beksiński painting on their new record, they have certainly succeeded. They navigate the fine line between beauty and brutality flawlessly, incorporating elements of both into every atmospheric track. In all its glitchy brilliance, ‘Evangelic Girl Is A Gun’ encompasses all the dread and darkness characteristic of Beksiński’s work, while remaining deeply true to yeule. A collage of trip-hop, screeching guitars, and anguished vocals, ‘Evangelic Girl
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Few musicians are as dedicated to their craft as yeule. A part-time painter and part-time performer, this art-punk icon creates a unique blend of audio-visual experiences.