Review by Andy (Quirk) Thomas Jan 2003 for Drowned in Sound

I like YYHB. It's not that they're particularly original or experimental, but they do know how to write a respectably poppy guitar tune. Opener, Marks and Spencers Ready Meal sounds like intelligent Menswe@r. Track two, Ben Hur, brings in a certain Longpigs feel. It could have been huge in 1995. Scatter Bonanza has a certain feel for Blur, mixing the pop sensibilities of The Great Escape era with the punky irreverence of Popscene. Not sure about those incidental tom breaks though... Final track, Guru Guvnor, is harder. Somewhere between early Mansun and Placebo. The chorus is gloriously discordant, yet ultimately quite radio friendly.

The sad fact is that Yes Yes Harry Bonanza are out of step with current trends. However, give it a few years and once britpop resurfaces they could well be fighting off the skinny t-shirt clad teen girl hordes. They have the tunes, they just need the chance

Four.One.One Fanzine Review Issue 5

“Marks and Spencers Ready Meal”…no, not free advertising or an attempt to kiss the asses of those corporate-types to get the band an M+S jingle gig, but more of a potential Summer 2003 anthem. Riding on the tip of the Bluetones’ vibe, the EP glides into the seriously chilled out second track “Ben Hur”, teasing listeners with a bit of Suede in their “Trash” era, whilst “Scatter Bonanza” is upbeat Britpop on a high. Taking a turn into dark-alley-central for last track “Guru Guvnor”, YYHB swap smiley SClub beats for a moody Charlatans vibe yet still maintaining their catchy trademark rhythms.

This EP will do what “Bohemian Rhapsody” did for the Dandy Warhols…create a recognisable platform that will establish YYHB, a band that has so far lacked the recognition they deserve. [Check ‘em out: www.yesyesharrybonanza.co.uk]