Yorn completes musical trilogy
‘Nightcrawler’ depicts Pete Yorn’s evolution over the past five years
By Kelly Fisher, a&e editor
Posted on September 5, 2006

Pete Yorn’s latest album, Nightcrawler, features an edgier form of pop rock, a welcome evolution that old fans will appreciate and new listeners will learn to love.

Yorn, whose first album, Musicforthemorningafter, came out in 2001, has made a name for himself as an emerging artist in the world of music. Since being discovered by movie producer Bradley Thomas, Yorn has been featured in many television and movie soundtracks, including “Dawson’s Creek,” “Felicity,” “Orange County,” “Spiderman” and “Shrek 2.”

After the release of Musicforthemorningafter, Rolling Stone featured Yorn in its “Top 10 to Watch” list, helping him to secure a fan base. He has also been touring since the release of his first album.

His plan for his trilogy of albums was to show the progression of an entire day, his first record representing the morning and his sophomore album, Day I Forgot, released in 2003, representative of the daytime.

Nightcrawler completes his trilogy, which serves as a metaphor for his life, both personally and professionally. While its name is representative of nighttime, Yorn considers it to be a reflection of the evolution of his career since his first CD.

“This new record is not so much for the night,” Yorn has said, “but for a later period in my life. The perspective I have comes from having lived more and experienced more.”

The disc is packed with music, 15 tracks to be exact, so consumers get their money’s worth. The opening track, “Vampyre,” creates an eerie feeling reflective of the album name, but the beat of the record picks up with Yorn’s first single off the CD, “For Us,” which features guest drummer Dave Grohl of the Foo Fighters.

Martie Maguire and Natalie Maines, both of the Dixie Chicks, also lend their music and talent to Yorn’s “The Man,” which adds a more folk sound to the disc.

“Undercover,” which was also featured on the “Spider Man” soundtrack, has a catchy, recognizable tune which fans of the soundtrack love.

Slowing down the pace of the album is “Ice Age,” with Yorn’s poignant lyrics drawing listeners into his heartbreak, reminiscent of Coldplay’s audience-hooking techniques.

The bonus track on the album, “Go With It,” is not so much of a bonus than just the final track on the disc. The guitar riffs are similar to those in Yorn’s hit from Musicforthemorningafter, “For Nancy,” which is not a bad comparison.

Nightcrawler, while perhaps not the best of Yorn’s work, makes a decent album to listen to while studying or hanging around. New fans will be inspired to check out his earlier albums after a few listens to Nightcrawler. His talent as a musician is undeniable and this album will only help him materialize as a bona fide rock star.