W. Y. Huang, multiple EPs
A decadal evolution of rock to folk that feels both familiar and unique
They say you can’t teach an old dog new tricks, but W. Y. Huang is out to prove that saying doesn’t apply to cats. The Singaporean rock/folk/electronic artist started his career in the band MONSTER CAT, who released Mannequins, their first EP (and the first EP in this feature) in 2011. MONSTER CAT would only release one more album, but Huang would link up with Howie Lee and the Do Hits crew soon after, releasing eccentrically cinematic club music under the name “Yllis.” His success on the decks ushered in a new career as an electronic music producer, a path that would eventually take him to NYC and some exciting cross-genre collaborations. But last month, Huang executed a hard pivot with the release of his new EP Knots, a return to the emotionally resonant folk sounds he explored on Mannequins but with a stripped-down sentiment born from a renewed focus on personal expression. “I wanted everything in this project to be as authentic as possible,” he says in an interview with yours truly.
There’s definitely a through line between the anthemic folk rock of Mannequins and the intimate indie folk of Knots, one that goes beyond a shared use of the word “folk.” The through line is Huang himself, the way he paints his vocals with personal touches that both take possession of a song and pay tribute to it. This comes out in the subtle flourishes he’ll add to elevate a song from good to special - the dips into commanding baritone and gentle falsetto on Mannequins, the achingly lush melodies and occasional brushes of Autotune on Knots that lend his singing a tremulous tenuity. But more foundationally, this connection is in the reverence with which Huang treats his lyrics on both EPs, how he emphasizes certain words by letting his voice linger on them for an extra beat or two, as though he needs to hold them for a moment longer before letting them go. As though he knows he’ll miss them when they’re gone.
