Rock bands navigating the dangerous sea of fickle critics and fans are most vulnerable, it seems, in the follow-up albums, where they now have to make good on early promise and signs of potential.
Yeah Yeah Yeahs are another New York-based group who had quickly made a name for themselves mostly on the basis of the few songs of their 2001 debut EP and a highly charged, raucous live act.
Hipsters everywhere were able to pat themselves on the back when "Fever to Tell," the band's first full-length released in 2003, was hailed as one of the best albums of the year and sold over half a million copies worldwide.
Lead singer Karen Orzolek (stage name Karen O), guitarist Nick Zinner and garage drummer extraordinaire Brain Chase proved to be more versatile and virtuosic than their earlier recordings hinted, first thoroughly assaulting listeners' ears with raw, noisy energy for two-thirds of the album, and then completely shifting gears with the shimmering beauty of the hit single "Maps," by far the best song on the album, and closing out the album with the whisper of "Y Control" and "Modern Romance" rather than a bang.
"Show Your Bones" is no sophomore slump, but it surely will not live up to the hype that the band has generated. Frankly, "Fever to Tell" and the EPs also fail to reach the level of genius that word-of-mouth would have you believe. But, the new album refines, at least superficially, the raw energy of the first LP and focuses it, resulting in 11 tracks that, for all their artsy indie-garage rock stylings, display pop sensibilities at their core.
At just under 40 minutes, the album remains catchy throughout and a few of the songs will definitely stick in your head long after they have stopped playing. New producer Squeak E. Clean has given the album a much less sloppy sound -- which some fans may find endearing -- replacing it with a sound that is clean and warm -- autumnal, even. He also brings some uncharacteristic instruments into the album, which fill out sparser songs but are generally unnecessary and borderline irritating.
How much you like Yeah Yeah Yeahs and their new album will depend on how much of Karen O's vocal stylings you can handle. Her voice would be unremarkable if not for the snarls, Banshee shrieks, cackles and otherworldly noises that punctuate the songs and the sexuality that infamously drips off her words.
Such theatrics can be grating and gimmicky -- for all her cool, beer-stained clothes and black Mary Quant haircut, Karen O is sometimes more like rock's annoying younger sister. It should come as no surprise that "Maps" found a wider audience because it showed Karen at her most sincere and least unrestrained.
However, this sound is what also distinguishes the Yeah Yeah Yeahs from the rest of the pack and while Zinner and Chase provide a solid musical backdrop, they are nothing special. It very well may be what you want to hear blasting from your speakers.
Whatever your thoughts on Karen O's vocal quirks, they are significantly toned down in "Show Your Bones." Like with "Maps," less theatrics correspond to the more confessional, although fairly cryptic, content of the songs, many of which are reportedly inspired by breakup. Indeed, "Maps" finds its natural progression in some of this album's best tracks.
"Cheated Hearts" takes the tone and feel of "Maps" further, combining its beautiful balladry with a better sense of dramatic tension and pacing, along with some of the band's strongest lyrics, to create a song that succeeds on many levels.
The next track, "Dudley," is similarly successful, making the album's middle its strongest section. Listening to the album, I found myself wishing that Yeah Yeah Yeahs would abandon their brasher art rock posturing and embrace this kind of pop more. That said, there are other bands for this kind of music, and the YYYs' variety is one of its best assets and one that gives it plenty of room to grow in future albums.
Some of Karen O's theatrics remain though, the yipping chorus of the album's first track and single "Gold Lion" being a prime (and incredibly catchy) example.
Zinner and Chase are allowed some versatility too, most successfully displayed in the rockabilly guitar and drum licks that back "Mysteries" which, of course, descends into pure rock by the time the song ends. "Sweets" sounds more country than New York, beginning with a jangly acoustic guitar but, again, building to a typical rock song by the second verse. And for all of the ballads, the band still has an attitude. "Honeybear" is one big "f*ck you," telling listeners to "turn yourself around, you weren't invited." Despite this warning, Yeah Yeah Yeahs have created a listener-friendly album that, while not spectacular, is also not a step back from the critically-beloved "Fever to Tell."
