“Yelling Bones makes music that isn’t supposed to feel frivolous or even fun. It’s going for a cathartic release of human emotion. The songs, even if you don’t listen to a single word, will give you the sense the music is exploring pain, pleasure, hope, nostalgia and well the human condition. This isn’t easy. When bands fall short of such benchmarks that bands like Sigur Rós and Spiritualized set, things can go south fast. That grand epic moment the band hopes to create can feel melodramatic, contrived and at its worst just straight up cheesy to where you feel embarrassed for them.”
Matt Jensen, Divide & Conquer
Full album review
“Put your headphones on because you need to
be all ears to fully appreciate this album. Multi-layered records such as
Yelling Bones debut Outside are exceptional in today’s music landscape. On the
other hand, it may not surprise you with sound architect and former Whipping
Boy Myles McDonell on board. It’s hard not to hear the connection to their
album Heartworm (by Irish fans rated as the best Irish rock album of all time).
Although this album from 1995 must have been a great inspiration to Yelling
Bones’ lead singer and songwriter Gerry McGovern, Outside is more than a rock
album: it’s refined with beautiful string arrangements and subtle details.
Truth to be told, McGovern isn’t the best singer in the world, but more
important than perfect is that he grabs your attention with his thought-provoking
lyrics. This guy has something to say. As a gifted storyteller, the parlando in
‘Consequential Butterfly’ suits him well and aligns beautifully with the
backing vocal of Casey McDonnell. Outside gets its apotheosis in the final song
‘Jason & Phil’, a thrilling song that doesn’t seem to end. Take this
emotional journey through the darker and more rarely questioned aspects of the
human condition.”
Mischa Verheijden, music critic, Belgium
@mischabe
“Yelling Bones have a reverence for space. In their music you don’t get so much bombarded as immersed although there is great power and strength. Their music washes beautifully over you. It’s honest, heartfelt and deeply impressive. One of my albums of the year.”
Martin Bridgeman, KCLR, @kclr96fm
“Yelling Bones debut
album, Outside, charges at you with fangs bared but the bite isn’t as bad as
you might think. Across a batch of songs – most of which are longer than five
minutes in length, which allows them to stretch out like cats in the sun – the
band’s sonic intent is laid out for all to hear. Featuring a former member of
Irish notables, Whipping Boy (bass player Myles McDonnell), the music is
layered, textured, and equal parts discomforting and benign. A highly assured
piece of work, no doubt.”
Tony Clayton-Lea (pop culture writer, Irish Times/Sunday Business Post) @TonyClaytonLea
“Debut Of The Week: The
former Whipping Boy bassist Myles McDonnell resurfaces with an act at odds with
the new wave of brash Irish bands. That Yelling Bones are largely a studio
project is evident in the carefully crafted soundscapes, conjuring up Sigur Rós,
while the inward-looking songs contract and widen at will, from the soaring
Outside The Window to the claustrophobic In The Moment. While singer Gerry
McGovern tends to reach for the obvious rhyme, the musical turns are rarely as
expected. A rewarding debut.”
Steve Cummins, The Sunday Times, March 17, 2019

“Sometimes slow cooking is the best method. Gerry McGovern is a serious man. He has a lot to say. He has been prominent in the worlds of journalism and tech. And now, all these years later, he has stepped across into songwriting and music, fronting a band with the telling moniker Yelling Bones. With the aid of a bunch of equally serious players of genuine pedigree, the YBs debut album Outside, is a work of real depth and power. Easy listening it is not – this outfit aren’t called Yelling Bones for nothing. Rather, this is primal stuff that – on tracks like ‘A Good Man’ and the tragic ‘Jason and Phil’ in particular – gets into the nitty gritty of what we are, and how we engage with one another, and with the world. Listening to it, I hear the ghost of Lou Reed, the shade of Nick Cave and perhaps a chimera of Sigur Rós. It would do us all a bit of good to spend some time Outside soaking up the atmospherics. But don’t expect to sleep easy afterwards.”
Niall Stokes, Editor, Hot Press @hotpress
“Great music can be a source of strength but there is no resilience without vulnerability. Music can only provide strength and solace if it is emotionally open and honest enough to let you in, in the first place, to where fear and hope and doubt and all the raw human stuff is hiding. Vulnerability and resilience are at the heart of who we are, at the heart of a full life, and at the heart of this music.”
Niall Crumlish, Music fan, psychiatrist, and writer @NiallCrumlish
Read the full review: Why Say Words That I Do Not Mean?
“Headphones on and settle in, Yelling Bones
“Outside” is an earworm to share and become immersed within. With the
intimacy of Sparklehorse and scale of Spiritualized, Yelling Bones have crafted
a beautiful album which deserves to be held in the highest of regard.”
Michael Murphy @DiplomatMurph @_tomorrows
“With echoes of
Spiritualized and The Polyphonic Spree, Yelling Bones have created a unique and
atmospheric record for their debut album.”
Ed Smith @TodayFM @edsongsofpraise
“A monumental album.
Essential listening. Full of wonderfully crafted songs. For fans of Mercury Rev,
God Machine and Spiritualized.”
Brian Bradley, Brassneck Management @BrassneckMusic
“It’s an ambient,
atmospheric, post-rock record that ruminates on mortality and loneliness, and
celebrates outsiders. A sound that brings to mind Sigur Ros, Spiritualized, Hammock,
and Explosions In The Sky.”
Steve Cummins, UK Sunday Times @Steve_Cummins @thesundaytimes
“‘Outside’ is a defiant cry from the margins; it occupies its own unique space, a ghost-like shiver of a record. There is no manifesto, no angle, just music made with heart and passion for those with the patience to listen.”
Paul Page, ex-Whipping Boy, @pagep195
“Outside, the debut
album by Yelling bones, is a raw, deeply emotive and melancholy record that
bravely wears its heart on its sleeve. Well worth checking out.”
Torsten Kinsella, God Is An Astronaut @Giaa_band
“Outside makes
for a rewarding–and sometimes unsettling–experience. What the doctor ordered
…”
Jackie Hayden @hotpress
“I’m reminded of a 19 year old me walking down the stairs of The Underground bar on Dame Street when the vapors of 90’s Dublin indie music wandered up the winding stairs, and into the streets, and then back into the garages and rehearsal rooms of the suburbs where more noises flourished. There’s a wonderful nostalgic feel to this, an edge, and a great care and craft gone into it. A joy of a listen on a cross country train journey.”
Pat Barrett @Pat_M_Barrett
“Dublin’s Yelling Bones bring to mind
Spiritualized at their most vulnerable on their fantastic debut Outside.
It’s an enticing mix of vocalist Gerry McGovern’s fragile, world-weary melodies
(think Leonard Cohen) blending in with his band’s gorgeous windswept
atmospheres. It’s no surprise that the group includes a former member of the
legendary Whipping Boy in Myles McDonnell — “The Loner” in
particular hits similar highs to Heartworm standouts like “Twinkle”
and “Morning Rise”. Equally enticing is the soaring “Outside The
Window” and the bare bones ballad “A Good Man”. Challenging and
essential.”
Ben Vendetta, novelist, @postpunkrunner
“I’ve been locked in with this record for the last few weeks. There’s a lead track called In the Moment which has the intensity and beauty of Whipping Boy at their best. Repeat listens to the album reward again and again. An epic slow burn.”
David Bell @DavidBellFirebr
“The problem with Spotify is that it
encourages you to listen to music you like and music you are used to, so you
miss out on a lot of new music. I got my hands on the Yelling Bones CD Outside
and it was so refreshing to listen to something new and different. Gerry
McGovern’s unique vocals are very atmospheric and fresh. Most of the album
reminds me of the sea The standout track (and probably most accessible) for me
is ‘In the Moment’, which is on repeat in my car.”
Barry Cronin Photographer @sidelighter
“The album moves me on
so many levels. The band’s melodies are eerie and sonorous in a way I haven’t
encountered before. When I listen to it, I’m just drawn into a different
world—no one sounds like this band, and I’m grateful to have discovered it.”
Kristina Halvorson @halvorson Founder,
@BrainTraffic and @ConfabEvents.
“Outside, from
Yelling Bones, is beautiful, melancholy album with sound landscapes that
reminds me of Wilco. A really promising debut!”
Jostein Magnussen, cofounder Netlife Design @josmag @netlifedesign
“Yelling Bones brought
me back to my youth in the best of ways. Listening to their new album I was
transported back to hearing Yes for the first time, that psychedelic feeling
you get when embraced by something familiar and yet new. The whole album is
incredible, all songs are on point and magical. Very excited to hear what these
guys do next!”
Marci Eversole, founder, Escapade Productions @Meeversole

