Album Details

• Artist: Yeasayer
• Album: Odd Blood
• Label: Secretly Canadian
• Year of Release: 2010
• ME Rating:
• Reviewed by: kev_stev on 2010-02-09

Media

Brooklyn's indie-rock trio, Yeasayer, have garnered media attention ever since their critically lauded debut, All Hour Cymbals, caught ears in 2007.  Following their debut, the band almost immediately transcended small indie circles and reached worldwide audiences; even a clip of them practicing was aired on MTV-during the commercials, of course, when MTV pretends to still care about music.

After a painstaking wait, Yeasayer's second album, Odd Blood, seems to cater more to such expansive audiences, honing the subtle pop influences heard on their previous album.  Their tremendously catchy single, "Ambling Alp," exemplifies this dramatic change of style; this does not sound like the same band that was booming portentous waves of sound on the Sabbath-esque "Waiting for the Wintertime."

The sunny polyrhythm of "Ambling Alp" suggests a departure from the wintry elements of their debut, embracing blipping keyboards, electronic fuzz, and aural idiosyncrasies, like the splashing of water at the track's inception.  The vocals compliment the track's sing-song quality, while the cheerfully reassuring lyrics, "Now the world can seem an unfair place at times / But your lows will have their compliment of highs," allow listeners to sing and dance along without feeling guilty.

"Madder Red" follows with a darker, introspective examination of self-failure, capturing a drearier atmosphere with ghastly chanting and drums à la Peter Gabriel.  "I Remember" follows and, almost as in recovery from the dejected narration of the previous song, begins slowly and airily, as twinkling keys and reverberating vocals speak wistfully of past memories, "I remember making out on the airplane / Still afraid of flying, but with you I'd die today."

The song builds gradually in ballad form, as keyboard notes spiral, the drumming quickens, and various electric glitches add both quirky and ruminative ambiance to a beautifully complex track.  The sunny synthesizers return on "O.N.E." with tin can drums batting away at jaunty sonic effects.  The song belongs on playlists following MGMT's "Kids" or "Time to Pretend," mixing enough technique and instrumental oddness in synth-rooted pop, creating the perfect balance of catchiness and quality.

"Love Me Girl" takes a trance-inducing techno beat to intoxicate listeners as computerized drums and random sound effects (from kid's shrills to jungle noises) bring the album's eclectic glory to fruition.  This is the type of song that could have any of its parts deconstructed into a club remix; actually, it could work in most clubs on its own merit, as its insistent beat implores its listeners to dance.

Like Vampire Weekend's recently successful album, "Contra," Odd Blood flaunts its modern rock influences, beginning the album with Thom Yorke-influenced vocals on "The Childern," using a vocoder to distill any humanity from singer Chris Keating's voice.  There is also a distinctive Animal Collective resemblance as well, which is an ideal model for a band that is making off-kilter pop music-successful bands generally don't get much stranger than Animal Collective do.

Aside from the dystopian atmosphere the opening song elicits, the album is a glossy, energetic amalgamation of a variety of sounds and ideas, which, in concept and execution, is also similar to Vampire Weekend's latest album. Both albums avoid convention: the nasally keyboard solo on "Rome" could have easily been replaced with a guitar solo, but its zany and unorthodox approach thrives in its oddness-a fitting microcosm for the entire band.

80's new wave and disco elements also emerge on the band's most infectious songs, which will strain indie-elitists looking for only the most complex and obscure music.  Yeasayer's first album may have appeased that audience, but now their music truly seems limitless.  It is hard to deny an album that is this immediate and enduring; let the naysayers become Yeasayers.

User Reviews and Comments

Review:

on 2010-01-16 thurstamoore Said:

Brooklyns psychedelic, middle-eastern sounding band Yeasayer have finally, after a 2 year wait since their previous; critically acclaimed All Hours Cymbals, released their sophomore album Odd Blood. The album opens with an intense and heavy march of what sounds like robots that have travelled from 2080 to destroy the earth as we know it. After a dark and dirty intro, a mix of saxophones and light piano lead us into the first single off of Old Blood; Ambling Alp. Chris Keating sings enthusiastic lyrics with confidence and optimism accompanied by Animal Collective-like keyboards and drum beats. Love Me Girl opens with an almost trance feel to it, and later progresses into what could be mistaken for a verse off of FutureSex/LoveSounds as Chris busts out his inner Justin. I Remember sends us into a magical land, where cheesy synthesizers and falsetto rule the land, and everyone walk alongside another, holding hands and singing. Strange Reunions returns back to the days of All Hours Cymbals, complete with Yeasayers psychedelic and middle-eastern origins and a lovely side dish of sitar. I promise you that the combination of the irresistible saxophones and clapping of Mondegreen will find yourselves moving and grooving to the beat. As the album draws to a close, there is a hint of a more familiar Yeasayer, as they play with a more calm and mystical tone.
Compared to All Hours Cymbals, the lyrics have become much less worrisome for the future, with more optimistic talk of both loss and need of love. It is evident that Yeasayer has been dreaming of the warm, tropical south while creating this record, as there are much more funky beats and drumming which enable incredible amounts of fearless dancing with the listener. The album has a sense of nostalgia of the 80s, as there is lots of synthesizer and falsetto spread throughout the record. Odd Bloods structure is more constant than All Hours Cymbals, with most of its songs running around or under four minutes rather than some sprawling to over five and others as short as one minute. This album, although it sometimes leans towards being close to a dance album, has also strong reflections of the Flaming Lips, around the Yoshimi era.

Rating: 8/10