On their EPs,
the Yeah Yeah Yeahs
grew considerably, moving from the arty yet anthemic
garage punk
of their self-titled EP to
Machine
's angular urgency.
Fever to Tell
, their first full-length and major-label debut, also shows growth, but for the first time the band doesn't sound completely in control of the proceedings. Their EPs were masterful studies in contrast and economy, balancing just the right amounts of noise, melody, chaos, and structure within 15 to 20 minutes. At 37 minutes long,
sounds, at different times, scattered and monotonous. Most of this is due to poor sequencing -- the album opens with some of the raunchiest noise
have ever recorded, then abruptly changes gears and delivers a kitchen sink's worth of pretty
ballads
and experimental pieces. Both the old and new sides of the band's sound offer brilliant and frustrating moments:
"Rich
" is a sneering sugar-mommy story;
"Black Tongue,"
which features the great lyric "let's do this like a prison break," is almost
Hasil Adkins-esque
in its screwed-up sexuality and
rockabilly
licks.
"Date with the Night,"
a rattling, screeching joy ride of a song, combines
Karen O
's unearthly vocals,
Nick Zinner
's ever-expanding guitar prowess, and
Brian Chase
's powerful drumming in dynamic ways. Not so good are the insanely noisy
"Man"
and
"Tick,"
which have enough volume and attitude to make
the Kills
Jon Spencer
turn pale, but also sound like they're coasting on those qualities. The moody, romantic songs on
are the most genuine.
"Pin"
"Y Control"
have a bittersweet bounciness, while the unabashedly gorgeous, sentimental
"Maps"
is not only among the band's finest work but one of the best
indie
/
punk
love songs in a long, long time. Along with
"Modern Romance,"
a pretty but vaguely sinister meditation on the lack thereof, these songs compensate for some of
's missteps (such as
"No No No,"
a lengthy, halting mishmash of
and dubby experimentalism). Perhaps they should've included some of their tried-and-tested songs from their EPs, but for a group this mercurial, that would probably be stagnation. Though this is their debut album,
almost feels like a transitional release; they're already rethinking their sound in radical ways. Even when they're uneven,
are still an exciting band. ~ Heather Phares