The Ugliest Princess is a giant step forward for the band. Not only is it their first full-length album, it is a victory party for their seaport tavern sing-along sound.
Increased production values bring all of the band’s strengths to the forefront. The strings (played by Megyn Neff and Steve Bohn) are absolutely gorgeous. Fred Reyes on bass clarinet and Kristilyn Woods on bassoon give the low end a symphonic feel that rounds out the songs’ worldly feel. Not to be outdone, Jordan Robert weaves the French horn through the songs like the finest silk. Garnet on lead vocals is the rarest kind of powerhouse: one that knows how to hold back when the song warrants it.
We in Arizona are lucky to have Dry River Yacht Club. With the release of The Ugliest Princess, a fleshing out of their self-titled EP’s outline, I have a feeling the rest of the country will be hearing from them sooner rather than later.
Dry River Yacht Club popped my YabYum cherry. My first article for the site was about them, way back in June. I’ve written about a lot of good Arizona bands since then. I’ve agonized over deadlines and listened to enough music to load your iPod (twice). And no one’s music has excited me as much as Dry River Yacht Club’s.
