The Yeah Yeah Yeahs released their 3rd full-length album, It's Blitz!, this week. The album was released early, because it was leaked to the internet several weeks ago. The Yeah Yeah Yeahs are made up of three members: Karen O. (vocals), Brian Chase (drums), and Nick Zinner (guitar/synth). The trio formed in 2000 and make their home in New York City. They play garage rock/punk revival and got noticed while opening for The Strokes and The White Stripes. Their first album, titled Fever To Tell, gained some critical acclaim and the singles, Maps and Y Control, were instant hits. The video for Y Control was produced by Spike Jonze who was involved with Karen O. at the time. Fever To Tell, as a whole, is very raw and unpolished and very much in the punk rock style. This is typical of the Yeah Yeah Yeah's early work. Their second album, Show Your Bones, was produced by Sam Speigal who collaborated with Karen O. for a song in an Adidas commercial titled Hello Tomorrow. Show Your Bones is much more polished and more in the vein of garage rock revival than standard punk rock. The two singles from the album are Gold Lion and Cheated Hearts. This brings us to It's Blitz! The first thing you will notice about the album is the absence of Zinner's guitar as the centerpiece. He has traded in his guitar for synths and this is evident in almost all the tracks on the album. Do not fear though his guitar remains very much in the background and some would argue even helps flesh out a more fuller sound for the band. The album is two parts: dance and mellow experimentation. Some tracks, like Zero and Heads Will Roll, would set even the most obstinate crowd dancing. Other tracks like, Skeletons and Runaway, seem to drift into the sleepy subconscious of Karen O. herself. In fact the album feels like a Karen O. solo album which just happens to feature Chase and Zinner playing their instruments in support. In any case the album seems to reflect a maturing band who are beginning to experiment, unafraid to pursue sounds unlike their previous work. This is most obvious in Karen O.'s delivery. She has toned down the yelps and pantings typical of her performance and tried a more nuanced singing style. I liken this album to Bloc Party's, A Weekend In the City, in fact I think there are a lot of parallels between Bloc Party and the Yeah Yeah Yeahs. Overall I really like this album, and have absolutely no problem with the direction Karen O. has taken the band musically. For the die-hard Yeah Yeah Yeahs fans, afraid of a synthesizer-centric album, fear not. There are several songs that could fit into their older material seemlessly. Have some faith however and follow the band through their new sound for the rest of the album and I believe you will be rewarded.
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Yeah Yeah Yeahs
The Yeah Yeah Yeahs released their 3rd full-length album, It's Blitz!, this week. The album was released early, because it was leaked to the internet several weeks ago. The Yeah Yeah Yeahs are made up of three members: Karen O. (vocals), Brian Chase (drums), and Nick Zinner (guitar/synth). The trio formed in 2000 and make their home in New York City. They play garage rock/punk revival and got noticed while opening for The Strokes and The White Stripes. Their first album, titled Fever To Tell, gained some critical acclaim and the singles, Maps and Y Control, were instant hits. The video for Y Control was produced by Spike Jonze who was involved with Karen O. at the time. Fever To Tell, as a whole, is very raw and unpolished and very much in the punk rock style. This is typical of the Yeah Yeah Yeah's early work. Their second album, Show Your Bones, was produced by Sam Speigal who collaborated with Karen O. for a song in an Adidas commercial titled Hello Tomorrow. Show Your Bones is much more polished and more in the vein of garage rock revival than standard punk rock. The two singles from the album are Gold Lion and Cheated Hearts. This brings us to It's Blitz! The first thing you will notice about the album is the absence of Zinner's guitar as the centerpiece. He has traded in his guitar for synths and this is evident in almost all the tracks on the album. Do not fear though his guitar remains very much in the background and some would argue even helps flesh out a more fuller sound for the band. The album is two parts: dance and mellow experimentation. Some tracks, like Zero and Heads Will Roll, would set even the most obstinate crowd dancing. Other tracks like, Skeletons and Runaway, seem to drift into the sleepy subconscious of Karen O. herself. In fact the album feels like a Karen O. solo album which just happens to feature Chase and Zinner playing their instruments in support. In any case the album seems to reflect a maturing band who are beginning to experiment, unafraid to pursue sounds unlike their previous work. This is most obvious in Karen O.'s delivery. She has toned down the yelps and pantings typical of her performance and tried a more nuanced singing style. I liken this album to Bloc Party's, A Weekend In the City, in fact I think there are a lot of parallels between Bloc Party and the Yeah Yeah Yeahs. Overall I really like this album, and have absolutely no problem with the direction Karen O. has taken the band musically. For the die-hard Yeah Yeah Yeahs fans, afraid of a synthesizer-centric album, fear not. There are several songs that could fit into their older material seemlessly. Have some faith however and follow the band through their new sound for the rest of the album and I believe you will be rewarded.
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