Last year while having excess free time on the road and an extraordinary burst of creativity, Yukon Blonde’s frontman Jeffrey innes started a solo side project, High Ends, which was a major sonic and aesthetic departure from his primary gig, as High Ends employed analog synthesizers to create a sound that was possessed a hypnotic and hazy quality. And in some way, “Saturday Night,” the first single from the band’s forthcoming On Blonde seemed to reflect a similar change of sonic direction as the song which consisted of four-on-the-floor-like drumming, layers of shimmering and buzzing synths, angular and reverb-y guitar, sinuous bass and Innes’ sensual and swaggering vocals managed to not only sound as though it could have been released in 1983, it was arguably the most arena rock friendly sound they’ve ever released. 

However, On Blonde’s latest single “I Wanna Be Your Man,” suggests that the band hasn’t decided to put away their guitars for good; in fact, the song sounds as though Innes and company had been playing T. Rex albums before writing it, as it has a decidedly decadent, glam rock feel – or in other words, big power chords, propulsive drumming paired with Innes’ crooning, sensual falsetto that evokes a primal, carnal desire. Synths appear during the song’s dreamy bridge that also possesses a bit of dreamy harmony before turning back to the glam rock power chords. In some way it’s a subtly modern spin on a familiar and beloved sound.