youbet’s Way To Be is out today worldwide on Hardly Art. The album features the official videos for singles "Carsick," "Nurture," "Seeds of Evil," "Vacancy," and today’s offering, the official video for the Flamenco-tinged “Peel” directed by Brittany Reeber.
youbet is the project led by Brooklyn resident Nick Llobet (they/them). Across 12 delightfully off-kilter tunes, Llobet uses wordplay and tongue-in-cheek humor to obliquely explore dysfunctional relationships, regret, self-confidence or the lack thereof, queerness, and self-discovery. Fuzzy at the edges and filled with playful, kinetic arrangements, Way To Be is a bridge into the entrancing world of youbet.
All songs on Way To Be were written and produced by Nick Llobet, mixed by Adam Brisbin, and mastered by Amar Lal at Macro Sound.
youbet's Llobet and band members Micah Prussack (Bass) and Joanna Quinn (Drums) will tour in support of Way To Be beginning Sunday, June 23rd in Ridgewood, NY at TV Eye and now running through Friday, September 13th in Philadelphia, PA at Johnny Brenda's. The tour dates features support from Crosslegged and Iceblink (June 23rd) along with two co-headline runs with Truth Club (July 13th-July 19th) and Sour Widows (September 9th-13th). Tickets are on sale now.
Sun. Jun. 23 - Ridgewood, NY - TV Eye ^
Sat. Jul. 13 - Medford, MA - Deep Cuts #
Sun. Jul. 14 - Montreal, QC - Casa Del Popolo #
Mon. Jul. 15 - Toronto, ON - Monarch Tavern #
Wed. Jul. 17 - Chicago, IL - Schubas #
Thu. Jul. 18 - Cleveland, OH - Beachland Tavern #
Fri. Jul. 19 - Pittsburgh, PA - The Government Center #
Mon. Sep. 09 - Atlanta, GA - 529 Club *
Tue. Sep. 10 - Nashville, TN - DRKMTTR *
Wed. Sep. 11 - Asheville, NC - Eulogy *
Thu. Sep. 12 - Washington, DC - Comet Ping Pong *
Fri. Sep. 13 - Philadelphia, PA - Johnny Brenda's *
^ w/ Crosslegged, Iceblink
# w/ Truth Club
* w/ Sour Widows
Way To Be is available now on CD/LP/DSPs from Hardly Art, Mega Mart 2 (the new, UK-based sibling site to the world-famous Sub Pop Mega Mart), the band’s live shows, and select independent retailers in North America and the UK/EU.
Way To Be and its prerelease singles have seen support from the likes of DIY, Stereogum, Consequence of Sound, PASTE’s “Best New Songs,” and Post Trash, with additional playlisting from the likes of Ones to Watch, Pitchfork “Selects,” The Alternative, The Line Of Best Fit, Dork, and more.
What people are saying about youbet:
“...Way To Be's emotionally intelligent indie is a lesson in how to hit the goosebump-inducing sweet spot. Intimate yet rich, 'Nurture"s woozy, stripped-back softness nods to Elliott Smith, while 'Deserve' fleshes the palette out to a delicate seesaw of haunting keys cut through by buzzing guitar lines. ‘Vacancy’ then makes for a late-album highlight - its perfectly-deployed harmonies and chord progressions designed to tingle the spine.” [Way To Be] ★★★★ ½ - DIY
“There’s little straightforward about the band’s compositions yet their hooks always ring out with undeniable radiance. It’s in that juxtaposition of complexity and melodic swoon that youbet tend to shine the brightest, crafting music that’s both undeniably interesting and instantly memorable.” POST TRASH
"Some genuinely beautiful songwriting" [“Vacancy”] The New Cue
"The song encapsulates the childlike charm of their music, buoyed by simple, subtly wistful guitar and vocals" [“Nurture’] STEREOGUM
“youbet have fashioned an intimate, mystifying first follow-up to their 2020 debut Compare and Despair—all led by the delicate, nuanced vocals from Llobet.” [“Carsick”]. “Best New Songs” - PASTE
“The song kicks off with cracked, distorted guitar chords before settling in to a more laid-back, folky, extremely tuneful indie jam. Lead by sweetly sung vocals and accompanying harmonies, guitar licks, electric piano embellishments, and solo breaks keep the track from ever staying in one place for too long, resulting in a cut that’s as catchy as it is unpredictable.” [“Carsick”] Consequence of Sound
youbet
Way To Be
Tracklisting:
1. Carsick
2. Way to Be
3. Nurture
4. Seeds of Evil
5. Alive to You
6. Do
7. Deserve
8. Lost
9. Peel
10. Trauma
11. Vacancy
12. Still