And They Shouted “Yes Yes Yes!”
It’s been quite a while since Yeah Yeah Yeahs pointed the way with their hit single “Maps” allowing other spunky females to front post-punk and indie groups with unabashed aggression. Karen O and the gang drop an enticing blend of disco-chic and dream pop on the laps of kids in dire need of a summer album. It’s Blitz! maintains their New York-bred sound while delivering a fresh batch of solid pop tracks.
Yeah Yeah Yeahs manage to approach the album with more dance floor friendliness without the post-modern raunchiness so generously evident in most electro/dance acts. “Zero” opens the record with Karen O doing Blondie over familiar delayed guitar.
“Soft Shock” sounds like a Crystal Castles jam if it was fed heavy doses of Nyquil. O’s vocals, sounding hurt and desperate, offset the thumping drums. With the aid of power chords, the song climaxes to an abrupt end.
Of course the album isn’t all disco inferno. “Little Shadow” proves to be a perfect chill down of a closer with over-reverberated drums, drone backdrops, and sweetly sung Sigur Ros-like vocals.
It’s Blitz! is a healthy compromise between keeping it “art” and grinding out a really good tune. Obviously Yeah Yeah Yeahs are at the point of their career where breaking through as edgy and shocking has been taken over by experience, seasoned musicianship, and melodic sensibility. Like Joy Division became New Order, Yeah Yeah Yeahs’ maturation has been met with unrelenting acceptance.
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