Montreal’s Yoo Doo Right have announced that they’ll be releasing their debut album Don’t Think You Can Escape Your Purpose on May 21 via Mothland. It comes after a couple of EPs, on which they worked with the likes of Canadian greats Efrim Menuck (Godspeed You! Black Emperor) and Austen Tufts and Taylor Smith (Braids). For the full-length, Justin Cober (guitar, synthesizers, vocals), Charles Masson (bass) and John Talbot (drums, percussions) took their time to ensure they reached the monumental heights they envisioned, and that’s displayed on the album’s lead single and title track which is shared today.
On “Don’t Think You Can Escape Your Purpose”, they say: “It’s about a person who is losing touch with reality. Who thinks he has a higher purpose and is supposed to be an ambassador to a higher extraterrestrial race. It’s a looming atmospheric rhythm and crawl.”
The title “Don’t Think You Can Escape Your Purpose” is menacing in itself, but Yoo Doo Right harness that thought and extrapolate it to monolithic ends. A song that seems to be constantly ascending through psychedelic circles of synth and guitar, while the percussion pushes from below, “Escape Your Purpose” is impressive throughout its stately build to its weightless finale. Cober’s voice is serious and determined, fully embodying the self-importance of the character described in the quote above. It may just be all in the protagonist’s mind, but Yoo Doo Right have created a song that sounds like a gargantuan alien vessel hovering above, imposing in its sheer presence and weight, terrifying while remaining entirely placid. It’s a sure sign that Yoo Doo Right are a force to be reckoned with.
You can find “Don’t Think You Can Escape Your Purpose” on streaming platforms or watch the video below. The clip furthers the story of the song, the band’s Justin Cober, who directed, says:
“In an attempt to achieve a higher purpose in life, the subject instead witnesses their own deteriorating mental posture. As a means of overcoming assumed existential risk (the hurdles of our great filter), the subject looks above and within believing that they alone have been chosen to solve the problems that our species faces. Images of Eva Szasz’ 1968 short film ‘Cosmic Zoom’, produced by the National Film Board of Canada were cast over foliage to make for fitting imagery, complementing the narrative.”
Yoo Doo Right’s debut album Don’t Think You Can Escape Your Purpose arrives on May 21 via Mothland (pre-order on their site). You can find the band on Bandcamp, Facebook, and Instagram.
