Artist: Yeah Yeah Yeahs
Release: Mosquito (Album)
Release Date: Out Now
New York indie veterans Yeah Yeah Yeahs have experienced a somewhat tumultuous history. Rather than providing a coherent back-catalogue, each of their records have felt disparate- Fever To Tell provided the massively in-your-face anthems ‘Date With The Night’ and ‘Tick’, while follow up Show Your Bones favoured a more straightforward sound on the likes of ‘Gold Lion’. As It’s Blitz! took the band into a glitzy neo-pop world it was clear that the trio enjoyed experimenting with their sound, pulling in a variety of influences at varying levels.
It is therefore unsurprising that Mosquito displays little resemblance to those previous releases. Those yearning for a return to the grittier indie days will be disappointed, as will those expecting a development on their 80s inspired predecessor.
Any suggestions of up-tempo and grandiose compositions made by lead single and opening song ‘Sacrilege’ are immediately quashed by dreamy ballad ‘Subway’. Proving indicative of the album, Mosquito jumps schizophrenically between the quirky and the gentle. At times (see ‘Always’) Karen O channels Victoria Legrand from dream-pop aficionados Beach House, yet despite their seniority Yeah Yeah Yeahs often sound lost in their vast soundscapes. The vocals that previously dominated their sound are plastered over with ever-increasing layers of electronic bleeps and anticlimactic waves.
Retaining the lower tempos, yet removing the abstracted instrumentation, helps to bring Karen O back to the forefront – ‘Slave’ and ‘These Parts’ find the volatile balance between the barefaced pop and the drawn out structures, yet still fall flat compared to some prior material.
As standalone tracks, Mosquito does deliver some highlights. The lead single complete with gospel choir is a superb opener to the record; ‘Slave’ imposes a darker atmosphere on neo-pop, while ‘Despair’ steadily builds into a tense and beautiful ballad. Although misplaced on the album, ‘Subway’ is minimalism at its most stunning.
The quirks however provide the most prominent source of confusion on the record – ‘Area 52’ places a high-speed alien voice behind Karen O’s outlandish lyrics. Similarly, the appearance of Kool Keith alter ego Dr Octagon on ‘Buried Alive’ seems both unnecessary and mistimed. Preceding the three tracks which form a type of dream sequence to close the album, the overbearing rap vocals effectively pull the listener away from the record.
Rather than experimenting with genre directions between albums, Mosquito appears to search for an identity as it plays out. Perhaps this is due to the more informal recording process adopted by the band attempting to re-establish the DIY nature of Fever To Tell.
Even battling with the schizophrenic theme, the highlights show that Yeah Yeah Yeahs can still deliver inspiring the interesting songs – ones that play with direction and provide a platform for Karen O’s distinctive vocals. The negatives make it difficult to fully immerse yourself in the record; however should not distract from the successes. Mosquito is an album of two halves – it is now up to the listener to decide which half triumphs.
6/10
Reviewer: Ben Tipple
