Thursday, February 26, 2009

Yeah Yeah Yeahs is back! It's Blitz! review.

Note: No drama this time...

One of the most exciting bands of this decade is back, and obviously is such a big time. But is their third effort worth the wait? Does it live up to their very high standards? If you're reading this, you've likely heard the album that leaked almost two months before its release. Now, if you ask me, I think that's kind of unfair with the band and I feel bad for hearing it, but I just couldn't hold my curiosity. Specially after hearing the first single... Anyway, let's get down to business.

Opener (and lead single) "Zero" sets the bar ridiculously high for the rest of the album. A dance track with the so called "Euro pop" feel. It kind of reminds me of The Killers's "Human" in the sense that it starts slow and becomes faster over the time. Here you see clearly how much better YYY is than The killers. unlike "Human", you don't get tired of the tune after 30 seconds. In fact, the opposite happens. As the song progresses, it gets better and better, and in the end you're wishing for more.

And you get more. Next song, "Heads Will roll" is possibly the best song that these guys ever wrote. Here you don't see a post punk band anymore. You see a serious flirt with dance music. People have been comparing this with New Order's "Blue Monday", but I think it's much better than that and YYY will certainly take over the indie dance floors this year. "Dance, dance, dance till you're dead!", these are probably the coolest lyrics that I heard since MGMT's "Time To Pretend".

In the next song, "Soft Shock", things slow down. Now I confess that i'm a big fan of fast tracks, but this one is pretty sweet and enjoyable. Just when I was starting to wonder if the guitarist was still alive, comes "Dull Life". with its more traditional YYY's sound, with heavy guitars, this is going to please "old school" fans. it's not as good as the first two songs, but it's still pretty good.

In their constant search to change their sound, sometimes they seem to push too hard. Ballad "Runaway" starts with just piano! This really was weird in the first listen, but after some time I started to like it. Songs like 'Little Shadow" and Hysteric" seem a bit difficult to me, but I just can't hate them. There is a sense in which this album seem complex and very well done. If Coldplay makes an album and I don't like, it's their fault, of course. But with YYY it sounds like I'm just not smart enough to enjoy the songs, and they will grow over time.

Or maybe they won't. The fact is; "Zero" and 'Heads Will Roll" are so awesome that I highly doubt that I will ever care about that.

I can't wait to see them live!! Hope they announce dates in New York soon.

Grade: 8.5 (out of 10)

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