The YACHT Web site reads: “YACHT is a Band, Belief System, and Business.” This could quite easily lead one to thinking that YACHT, and its main man Jona Bechtolt, takes itself a little too seriously. The YACHT manifesto, after adding that free Wi-Fi is a political statement and it refuses to participate in “flame war” culture, the band, belief system and business conclude that they are “not a cult.”

Jona Bechtolt is formerly one half of The Blow, an electro-pop duo completed by vocalist Khaela Maricich. They made memorable songs, sweetly sung about love, loss and the deli aisle in the grocery store. Bechtolt has since moved on to become YACHT, which began as a solo project and is now an electro duo, with Claire L. Evans.

His beat-making skills and danceable grooves carry over from The Blow successfully, but without the dynamic of Maricich’s voice over them, they feel canned and dispassionate.

YACHT’s latest release is titled “See Mystery Lights” and opens with “Ring The Bell.” Shakers introduce the uninitiated to a record of Tex-Mex flavored Pacific Northwest kid music. It follows Bechtolt’s similar layered styling found both on The Blow’s “Poor Aim,” YACHT’s own “I Believe In You. Your Magic Is Real.”

Bechtolt is a total and complete wide-eyed idealist — to the point that it’s slightly annoying.

His first two tracks are dedicated to dying and what happens post-last-breath. Evans is the primary singer on the second of the two, “The Afterlife,” and she does her very best Kim Gordon, which is entertaining enough, but she yells nothing spectacular or philosophically intriguing.

“It may come as a surprise, but you are not alone. All that you have is not what you own.”

Evans repeats this throughout the song and instead of resulting in awakening, it feels more like naptime.

It should be noted that, included in YACHT’s manifesto, Bechtolt and Evans explain: “YACHT believes in an Afterlife. YACHT does not believe in ‘Heaven,’ or ‘Hell.’”

“I’m In Love With A Ripper,” is also in direct support of the band’s mission. Bechtolt is a major advocate for free use of anything and everything on the Internet and has publicly said that he uses pirated software to construct his sugary beats.

The track also serves to parody T-Pain’s “I’m In Love With A Stripper,” a definite strike at the sexism so prominent in a good chunk of popular music. Bechtolt is vocal about his ideals on equality of the sexes, having penned the song “Women Of The World,” concerned with ladies taking over and fulfilling their potential as the ultimate rulers and beings.

“See Mystery Lights” continues on a path of righteous dancing, but not much serves it to stand out. “Summer Song” feels more like bit disco than the others, with gigantic drums, bass and claps.

A funky vibe protrudes from “We Have All We Ever Wanted,” before Bechtolt’s vocals intrude as nerdy and flat as ever.

“Don’t Fight the Darkness” closes out the album with a simplistic hip-hop feel, which becomes an ode to light and dark balancing each other out in the world.

Ultimately YACHT is a musical act to be seen live, with a bunch of other sweaty bodies. As of yet, YACHT has no scheduled dates for the Phoenix area, but keep your eyes peeled for a dance party coming this way.

Recommended if you dig: The Blow, DFA Records in general, overblown egos throwing a dance party

Reach the reporter at
rebecca.bartkowski@asu.edu