Scott Yoder has always stood out. With his painted face, glam clothes, and a style that feels part rock star, part storybook character, he often seems like he comes from another world. Behind that bold image is someone much quieter, more thoughtful and his recent release is a reflection of the creativity he embodies.
His new solo album, Lover, Let Me In, feels like a brave step in a more open direction. Written completely alone in a small house in Seattle with only a group of stray cats for company, this is the sound of someone trying to reach out from behind their walls. “I can be aloof,” Yoder says. “But this record is me trying to crack that open.”
Let Me In is a tender emotionally rich collection of songs with a message for anyone who has ever felt alone, misunderstood or unsure of how to let anyone in.
Every part of this album has a touch of Yoder. From the instrument to the recording down to the production, it is indeed a solo project in it’s truest sense. He played all the instruments, sang every word, and recorded the 10-track album all from his bedroom. Every piece of this album feels incredibly close to the heart like Yoder is sitting next to you, quietly sharing his thoughts.
The songs drift between ideas about first love, forgotten places, old voice memos, poetry, and personal memories. But what connects all of them is a longing for closeness — the feeling that there’s something beautiful just out of reach.
The album sets the mood with it’s opening track. The guitars have a soft, vintage glow to them, like they’ve been wrapped in sunlight and dust. The production feels warm and a little hazy, as if it were found on an old record in your parents’ attic.
Yoder sings so gently, nothing hard, not holding back, just the perfect tone. There’s a tender middle ground in his voice that breathes hope while carrying the weight of possible rejection. The lyric feels like an invitation to come closer. It’s the sound of someone quietly asking to be known, even if they’re afraid of the answer.
The track continues to bloom slowly and the more you listen, the more it wraps around you. Subtle yet incredibly moving, like hearing a secret meant just for you. Every song on this record carries it’s own story.
“Portrait of Anneliese”, one of the album’s outstanding songs was inspired by a documentary about the fall of the Soviet Union. Yoder imagined a person left behind in a forgotten countryside, still waiting for something or someone. It sounds like a lost fairy tale, full of old sadness and quiet hope.
“Never Be Another Day” came from a voice memo Yoder had saved from his old band, The Pharmacy. It’s about the kind of love that hits you hard but can disappear just as fast if you don’t do something about it. “If you don’t act on it, it’s a tragedy,” he says. The weight of missed chances is felt in every note.
“Feather Light” offers a moment of light and sweetness. Written while Yoder was working on a weed farm and reading Broken Wings by Kahlil Gibran, it captures the joy and heartbreak of first love. It feels like the memory of a summer afternoon, even in it’s brightness, there’s a soft sadness underneath — the kind that stays with you long after love is gone.
Scott Yoder’s musical journey has taken many turns but Lover, Let Me In feels like all those versions of Yoder have come together — the rocker, the poet, the wanderer, the glam star — and made peace. This record is honest, open and deeply personal.
Lover, Let Me In is an album about trying — trying to be seen, trying to connect, trying to break through the quiet distance that can grow between people. It doesn’t pretend to have all the answers, and that’s what makes it so special. It simply offers a hand and asks, “Will you meet me here?”
Listening to it feels like reading someone’s journal with all the truths stripped naked before your eyes. It’s soft, but strong. Simple, but deep. Sad, but hopeful.
Scott Yoder might have made this record alone, but it’s meant for anyone who has ever wanted to be understood. And in the end, that’s what makes it such a rare and beautiful thing.
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