I've come rather late to the Yeah Yeah Yeahs. Mosquito is I believe their fifth album. I first started appreciating their mix or art-punk with It's Blitz. The latter's disco strut did have its exultant excellent moments, but Mosquito strikes me as being an altogether different beast, their most coherent album yet. There really is not one duff, or uninteresting, track, no dip in the energy execution or quality. It opens with the gospel tinged Sacrilege.
This is followed on the album by Subway, about loosing ones ticket and ones lover, all set to the rhythm of a recording of a New York subway train. Then comes the albums title track, which I heard first on Later with Jools Holland, and it is one relentless storm of a track. Karen O sings speaks, in that edgy, sassy and confident manner, that made everyone else on the show look feeble and uncommitted by comparison, Plus she was dressed to impress in a bright red fringed jacket. Knockout!
The Yeah Yeah Yeahs are the sort of band that can only emerge from New York. Part of the Art-punk scene, their roots are so urban, influenced by street swagger and sleaze, rough and raw, whilst also possessing a flashy brash polish. They're both Indie and Arty, a guitar band that loves to experiment, often to quite a wild and indulgent degree. So on this album there's Sacrilege with its touch of the aforementioned gospel, but also dub effects galore on Under The Earth, then rapping on another standout track Buried Alive. This bears an opening riff that seems lifted from Johnny Marr and The Smiths, that then takes off on a trajectory all its own. They'll probably never reach mega stadium popularity, as their style is too eclectic and unpredictable, but this is what I love about them. Mosquito is there most consistently satisfying offering yet,
This is followed on the album by Subway, about loosing ones ticket and ones lover, all set to the rhythm of a recording of a New York subway train. Then comes the albums title track, which I heard first on Later with Jools Holland, and it is one relentless storm of a track. Karen O sings speaks, in that edgy, sassy and confident manner, that made everyone else on the show look feeble and uncommitted by comparison, Plus she was dressed to impress in a bright red fringed jacket. Knockout!
The Yeah Yeah Yeahs are the sort of band that can only emerge from New York. Part of the Art-punk scene, their roots are so urban, influenced by street swagger and sleaze, rough and raw, whilst also possessing a flashy brash polish. They're both Indie and Arty, a guitar band that loves to experiment, often to quite a wild and indulgent degree. So on this album there's Sacrilege with its touch of the aforementioned gospel, but also dub effects galore on Under The Earth, then rapping on another standout track Buried Alive. This bears an opening riff that seems lifted from Johnny Marr and The Smiths, that then takes off on a trajectory all its own. They'll probably never reach mega stadium popularity, as their style is too eclectic and unpredictable, but this is what I love about them. Mosquito is there most consistently satisfying offering yet,
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