Release Date: November 14th 2025. Record Label: Heavy Psych Sounds. Formats: CD/DD/Vinyl
Pavement Ends - Tracklisting
Burrito Power
Gestapo Pop
Bomba Negra
Dust Suppression
Pavement Ends
Bad Day To Be Alive
Lineup
Gary Arce - Guitars
Bill Stinson - Drums
Mario Lalli - Bass
Review
Psych/Desert Rockers Yawning Man return with Pavement Ends which follows a heavier and emotionally charged path than their last celebrated release of 2023’s Long Walk Of The Navajo. This record sees the band offer a deeper and reflective sound with a dominant Shoegaze and Post-Rock element that culminates in a pounding Stoner Rock movement which only they themselves can wholly create. Yawning Man even adds a dash of STONER METAL heaviness into their music which is heard within the epic opening track of Burrito Power.
The track constructs a Post-Rock and Desert Rock aesthetic with a haunting Cinematic Rock score before adding the deliciously heavy metallic surroundings whilst remaining to their core Desert Rock creative beliefs with passages of immense maturity. Yawning Man are continuously evolving their music into something different which makes this such a rich and rewarding experience despite the bleak “DOOM & GLOOM” surroundings that Pavement Ends offers from time-to-time.
Yawning Man employ their trademark sounds of the Desert to great effect which moves into classic areas of tranquil Post-Rock, Alt Rock and Shoegaze dynamics on the stunning tracks of Gestapo Pop, Bomba Negra and Dust Suppression. These are tracks with a lot to say about the modern world and despite the lack of vocals then Yawning Man has a lot to say which you can’t help but be fully on board with.
The album is their most daring, heavy and aggressive record to date but it’s one that offers plenty moments of EUPHORIC grooves though with some epic sonic distortion adding a level of mystery to the record. Watch out for the trippy areas of FUZZ ROCK that feels more destructive here than Yawning Man have ever played but this matches the world-weary attitude and message of the whole album.
The strands of Atmospheric Rock and Prog Rock come full circle within the excellent final two tracks of Pavement Ends and Bad Day To Be Alive with Yawning Man still creating intense new musical boundaries and merging with the legendary sounds of the Desert for a thrilling musical spectacle that is brilliantly thought provoking and ultimately uplifting in equal measure.
Pavement Ends is another brilliant album from the masters of Desert Rock and even with Yawning Man being in the game for almost forty years, they’re still proving their way ahead of the competition where nobody comes close to making Instrumental Rock music such as this.
Incredible. End Of.
Words by Steve Howe
