Friday, February 26, 2010
By Austin Siegemund-Broka
Editor-in-Chief
“Stick up for your dreams, boy. Never mind what anybody else does,” wails Yeasayer frontman Chris Keating on “Ambling Alp,” the first single off the band’s new album “Odd Blood.”
And, true to his lyrics, Keating and Yeasayer shine brightest when they are doing what no one else has. “Odd Blood” boils down into two elements: a complex indie-pop gem and a beautiful effort at re-imagining pop itself.
On this surprisingly well-made release (this is only the band’s second album, after “All Hour Cymbals” in 2007), Yeasayer prove to be not only talented composers, but also innovators of their genre.
The Brooklyn quartet is as part of a growing crop of indie-pop musicians that have achieved mainstream popularity, alongside contemporaries Phoenix, Islands, Vampire Weekend and others.
The genre is characterized by simple song structures and catchy pop melodies, like those of Kelly Clarkson and early Beatles albums, in tandem with unconventional elements such as psychedelic synthesizers, African percussion and offbeat lyrics.
At the finest moments of “Odd Blood,” the band breaks one of these indie-pop trends by returning to simple pop themes.
“Madder Red” is a classic “I’m sorry” song, “O.N.E.” is an “I’m glad I broke up with you” song, “I Remember” is an “I miss you” song, and “Love Me Girl” is a “don’t cheat on me” song. The lyrics are simple, centered around the same themes as those of Kanye West or Taylor Swift and are not particularly insightful.
But it is in their simplicity that Yeasayer’s genius lies: they coat traditional pop themes in rich, masterfully-conceived instrumentation. The album forces listeners to feel the songs’ subject matter anew instead of just passing them off as “another breakup song.”
Each track is a perfect example. The pounding piano chords, frenetic falsetto and echoing synthesizers of “Love Me Girl” perfectly evoke paranoia; “I Remember’s” dainty flute lines and high, echoing vocals ring with heartache and longing. These four songs revitalize lyrical subjects that previously had all their artistic merit drained by Kings of Leon and the Black Eyed Peas.
Most of “Odd Blood,” though, settles back into more traditional (if dizzyingly awesome) indie-pop. Fun beats and catchy choruses blend perfectly with complex instrumentation, weaving jazzy horns, club-worthy electro beats, tribal bird calls and swirling synthesizers into beautifully bizarre tracks.
Yeasayer also make admirable forays into Flaming Lips-esque psychedelia, shedding indie-pop’s standard song structures and trademark high, sweet vocals. The deeply unsettling opening track, “The Children,” as well as the semi-Oriental jam “Strange Reunions” and the soaring closer “Grizelda” herald an even more mature, freakier Yeasayer.
Lyrically, though, most of these tracks present no striking innovation to the quirky, often freakish subject matter of seasoned indie-pop groups.
That’s not to say they aren’t engaging: “Ambling Alp” alludes to a mythical struggle between “Old Man Schmelling” and the title “character,” while “Grizelda” explores the unsettling psychoanalysis of a serial killer.
But intriguing as these storylines are, they follow the same pattern of fantastical yet bizarre vignettes, something explored long ago by groups such as Islands and Ra Ra Riot.
Overall, the entire album is a surprisingly well-crafted piece, a must-have for indie rock aficionados and an excellent “branch-out” album for fans of big-name indie-pop acts such as Phoenix and Vampire Weekend.
“Odd Blood,” released Feb. 9, is available on iTunes for $9.99 and at music retailers. Key tracks are “Madder Red,” “Love Me Girl,” and “Strange Reunions.”
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