Jharis Yokley goes solo with “Sometimes, Late at Night”

After working with industry power-houses such as Solange, Chance the Rapper, and Ani Difranco Jharis Yokley, or “your drummer’s favorite drummer,” has arrived with a well-awaited debut record ready to knock your socks clean off. Sometimes, Late at Night is a breakup album that can suitably be described as a boat ride through the tempestuous waters of a heartbreak.

This genre-defying record is brimming with sincerity and a luscious sonic pallet, rich with uncompromising beats and texture for days. Paired with some simply delectable synth work by the Japanese keyboard wiz BIGYUKI, this album is a full feast for the ears.

What started as a bedroom project making sample-based beats, was later elaborated on in the studio with his bombastic drumming abilities. Still, that feeling of being alone in your room missing a part of your life that is no longer accessible rings clear through all 10 tracks.

Sometimes, Late at Night is a deeply contemplative record. The blatant honesty with how Yokley traverses the treacherous waves of separation allows this record to feel uncompromised. You are taken on this journey through its twists and turns on the path to self-understanding not as an outsider but as a participant, unlearning and relearning yourself alongside the captain.

With an earnest vocal delivery, the simplistic to-the-point lyricism packs a punch against the luxurious production and resonates in a way that makes you want to jump up and shake someone’s shoulders and say “You see? Someone knows!” Yokley lets us into his solitude and allows us to share and revel in its intricacies. Through the virtue of Yokley’s internal musings, the listener comes to know that they are not alone.

The genre diversity of this record came naturally through the fine-tuning of Yokley’s personal taste. This album refuses to be put in a box. This expressive and experimental ride is at once bombastic and soft, sometimes daunting and foreboding, sometimes comforting, but always with unrelenting musicality. The precision displayed in executing this record easily explains why Jharis Yokley is such a sought-after drummer. This is a strong debut, and with such an impressive resume under his belt, there is no question that we can expect great things in the future from Jharis Yokley.

Cover image by Janette Beckman