Fever To Tell
By Jefferson R., Bromley, QB
Yeah Yeah Yeahs may well be one of the best garage rock bands today,consisting of vocalist Karen Orzalek, Brian Chase on drums and Nick Zinner on guitar. While rockpurists may bemoan the lack of a bassist, once you hear the music, it won’t matter abit.
YYY’s style is very much that of an ensemble, but Karen O without a doubt holdsthe whole thing together. Her singing is something like a cross of Bj^rk and Aerosmith’sSteven Tyler. Her raspy, unpredictable voice cements the signature sound of the band, whileZinner’s guitar antics reach epic proportions on “Y Control” and the franticdrumming on show from Chase gives the band’s ensemble nature a great sense of belonging. Theresulting sound is truly something to behold.
Unfortunately, there are some weak points, butthis is likely because it’s their debut album. Some of the songs have a tendency to losefocus. “No No No” starts off as an instrumental explosion, turns into a vocal solo, andthen descends into a two-minute instrumental skit.
Thankfully, these moments are rare andthe breakneck pace continues through the eminently danceable “Date With The Night,” thedemented howling of “Man” right up to the sublime “Maps” and the dizzyheights of “Y Control.”
The album’s production sound is rough and ready;if you didn’t know better, you might think you were listening to a live album.
Inmost respects, this album is simply a primer for the YYY’s legendary live shows, where KarenO’s “showladyship” and the wondrous guitar-playing drumming combine to createsomething extraordinary.
If you’re into all things rock, or are just looking forsomething a bit different, don’t hesitate to buy this CD. You won’t regret it!
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