Send "Yeasayer " Ringtones to your Cell 
| Sputnikmusic |
 While there’s nothing particularly wrong with Brooklyn based Yeasayer, they have the unfortunate problem of being stuck on the periphery of “hip.” While their 2007 debut All Hour Cymbals was deservedly critically acclaimed, the reviews often contextualized Yeasayer with other bands in order to give potential listeners some point of reference while diagnosing the band as good albeit somewhat inconsequential electro pop. This kind of forced association is the curse of being such a band lingering on the edge of cool; a destiny of reviews featuring some variant on “(X band) is part of (kooky revivalist movement) therefore sounds like (superior bands in kooky movement mixed together).” In Yeasayer’s case, the problem is which superior bands in said kooky revivalist movement they’re aping and who in said movement is doing what they do, but better. With All Hour Cymbals, publications such as Pitchfork and cokemachineglow wasted no time in citing an Eno-era Talking Heads influence and lumping the act in with A-list indie rockers such as Animal Collective and Arcade Fire. Unfortunately, the problem with all this citing and lumping is that Yeasayer are, quite simply, not of the same caliber of the bands they cite and are lumped with. What Yeasayer did on All Hour Cymbals was pull together an impressive amalgam of influences to craft impressive songs which, although not particularly groundbreaking or spectacular themselves, suggested a great future potential. Yeasayer’s sophomore release, Odd Blood, also suggests potential, but never quite hits it or really strives to hit it. Instead, it appears the band is quite content to make cool yet easy pop music: catchy, mostly harmless, never really unpleasant, but ultimately fated to keep Yeasayer as the band to check out if you like (better indie bands). And so with Odd Blood, lacking anything particularly special to separate Yeasayer from a pack of buzz bands, the name dropping game can again be played in earnest. Odd Blood has a remarkable ability to compliment well-versed hipsters while being just original enough to highlight Yeasayer’s not-inconsiderable skill. One can hear shades of Klaxons on “Madder Red,” David Byrne on “I Remember,” and a lovely marriage of Animal Collective and fun. on the album’s lead single and strongest track “Ambling Alp,” with Yeasayer borrowing, in addition to each of the bands’ sonic palette, their influences' ability to make the slight sound inviting and lovely. Odd Blood isn’t as trippy or challenging as its cover, which could well be a depiction of the result of opening the Ark of the Covenant in the year 2200, would suggest. Instead, Yeasayer place themselves squarely in 80s pop bliss, with hooky synthesizers, jumpy bass and echoing snares grounding the celebration vocalist Anand Wilder is zealously hosting. Wilder’s vocals waver between impassioned and campy, but they generally fit Odd Blood’s style. Nothing is meant to be subtle on Odd Blood; Yeasayer instead up the glam and the geeky sense of cool....full text |
| Nme |
| It's about that time of year when you give up on anything more from this one than Christmas parties, the making of endless lists and three days of drinking wine for breakfast and eating like you've got five stomachs. But! There's always the imminent approach of next year, and the album-shaped presents it will bring. There's plenty of biggies to look forward to: MIA, Foals, Kate Nash, maybe Klaxons if we're lucky. But it wouldn't do to overlook the early doors ones, especially not if they're as good as Yeasayer's second album. For the formerly somewhat po-faced, Pitchfork-beloved propagators of gorgeous ambient/world/folk/other/other/other jams have only gone and discovered sex and dancing... 'The Children' Aagh! The zombie water babies are coming for your souls, with the menacing industrial clank of heavy shackles round their pallid drowned ankles, and weird distorted babbling of gravel-clogged larynxes. Oh, and some quite nice pianos. Every time this comes on in the office, I forget who it is and have to ask again, because it's so totally bizarre....full text |
| Onethirtybpm |
| 01. The Children The album opens in a manner quite radically different from the organic sound of the band’s debut. Crunching digital sounds are underpinned by a simple, steady thump from the bass drum, and the vocals are digitally mastered in a style akin to The Knife, rendering them completely unintelligible. Throughout the song, various instruments including piano, xylophone and horns find their way into the mix, working themselves around the beat. 02. Ambling Alp “The Children” naturally gives way to the lead single, “Ambling Alp,” which is sonically quite different from the opener. The song is much more conventional with a sing-along chorus and hummable tune. The percussion in this song is impeccable, dancing from the left to right channel and adding an additional level of catchiness to the song. Horns are once again present, this time coming in briefly yet effectively at the refrain of the song. 03. Madder Red This song starts off with the band vocalizsing in harmony as they did so effectively on All Hour Cymbals.This song is much simpler than those preceding, based around a simple guitar and again featuring a hummable chorus. Lyrically, it finds Keating in a more reflective mood, musing over why his partner bothers to put up with him. The song also includes a guitar solo, a first for Yeasayer. 04. I Remember “I Remember” returns to a more convoluted style, with ascending and descending notes played on piano and produced electronically under Keating’s falsetto. Once again Yeasayer have found a killer hook in the chorus of “You’re stuck in my mind all the time.” This is a true love song....full text |
Yeasayer lyrics
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