Take Shape marks a critical juncture for Cleveland’s The Dreadful Yawns. After three albums of sublime, blessed-out country tinged folk rock, The Dreadful Yawns have finally submitted to their distorted, Velvets inspired psychedelic fantasies. Their second album on Cleveland-based Exit Stencil Recordings, Take Shape displays a grittier Yawns without abandoning the pop sensibilities that made them a band to watch according to Spin magazine. The album was recorded and mixed by front man Ben Gmetro, former studio manager and Yawns drummer Chris Russo, and engineer & Exit Stencil COO Ryan Weitzel over six months in various locations.
While comparisons to the Velvet Underground, Pink Floyd, and Sonic Youth are not unwarranted, Take Shape showcases the environmental influences of living amongst a vibrant arts scene in a Midwestern rust belt town. Simultaneously accessible and challenging these 10 tracks offer a look at how intelligent pop music can come from the unlikeliest of places and people. The myths and rumors surrounding the near break up of the band following 2007’s Rest LP have been silenced by the depth and eclectic background of the Take Shape era personnel. The band now sports 4 multi-instrumentalists including Clayton Heuer on organ and violin, Elizabeth Kelly with her vocals, tambourine, and key skills, Gmetro and Russo trade off drum, guitar, and vocal duties, while Eric Schulte holds down the fort on guitar.
The Dreadful Yawns have shared the stage with such notable acts as Elf Power, Black Mountain, Spiritualized’s Sonic Boom, Kevin Devine, Jennifer O’ Connor, and Brian Jonestown Massacre. Their ever expanding and changing live show has garnered them critical success and a rabid cult following amongst fans in the Midwest and East Coast. They will be touring extensively behind Take Shape, beginning with a three week tour of the East Coast and Southeast in May and June. Not a band to rest on their laurels the Dreadful Yawns will begin recording new material during their downtime in Cleveland, Ann Arbor, and Chicago.
