Music

new music: sabatta frontman yinka oyewole drops tight solo record ‘whirlwind since the day’ #soundcheck

September 1, 2014

Known as the frontman for UK rock band Sabatta, Yinka Oyewole has made a name for himself with his music bridging the gap between alt rock and soul. On his latest full length record, the prolific Yinka Oyewole mixes his signature style with acoustic guitars and touches of hip-hop on Whirlwind Since The Day.

Words By NathanLeigh, AFROPUNK Contributor

Opener “No Brakes” rides a slinky bassline and a dance-rock beat with one of Oyewole’s strongest hooks. “STOP! Breathe” meanwhile finds the Sabatta frontman rapping over a left-field funk track a plea for sanity and civility. Music is so often used a plea for revolution and action that there’s something shocking surprisingly radical about hearing someone sing about de-escalation. Particularly where it concerns the racist and xenophobic assumptions made by the characters (smartly sung in 2nd person) in the song.


Though the record often focuses on more radio-friendly rock, oddly it’s at it’s strongest when Yinka ditches the rock drums and brings in West African percussion as on current single “Willis.” The song provides a strong backbone for his social criticism and easy hooks. It doesn’t hurt that this is the one song on the record where Yinka unleashes his greatest strength as a musician: his lead guitar chops.

Whirlwind Since The Day is out today on I Blame The Parents Records.

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