Yeah Yeah Yeahs: Mosquito
Yeah Yeah Yeahs
Mosquito
(Interscope)
Donning a canary yellow suit with rhinestones, studs and flower patches and a long zebra printed cape, Karen O, frontwoman of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, took the stage recently at New York Cityâs Webster Hall to preview some of the songs from the bandâs new album, Mosquito. As someone fortunate enough to get their hands on one of the prized tickets to that show, I had the honor of watching one of the best rock shows Iâve seen in a long time.
Karen O on stage really is something to see. Though the really crazy costumes and manic yelping have been toned down a tiny bit since the bandâs beginning in the early â00s, sheâs still riveting to watch as she dances, jumps, flails, bounces, kicks and skips around the stage, periodically taking a drink of water and then spewing it into a cloud above her head.
Beyond the costumes and stage antics that night, the Yeah Yeah Yeahs debuted some excellent new songs. âSacrilege,â Mosquitoâs first single, which was released back in February, is by far the best new song Iâve heard yet this year. Recorded down in New Orleans, the song is unlike anything else theyâve ever done. It starts out slowly with a few distorted, punctuated words, then grows to add Nick Zinner on guitar and Brian Chase on drums and by the end has added a full gospel choir, taking on a near-religious feel.
Dave Sitek of TV on the Radio, who worked with the band quite a bit on their last record, Itâs Blitz, produced and in other ways influenced Mosquito as well. One of those Sitek-inspired songs, âSlave,â is another great song that has a seductive quality and a classic-YYYs, rock ânâ roll rumbling guitar line from Zinner that will get lodged in your brain for days.
James Murphy of LCD Soundsystem also takes his turn as producer on this record with the track âBuried Alive.â The song is dark and intriguing, but doesnât really make a lot of sense on this record, particularly the short rap by Dr. Octagon featured about half way through. Itâs interesting and cool, but doesnât fit in with the rest of the album at all.
âSubway,â the albumâs second track, is the bandâs New York City tribute song. As a New Yorker myself, I believe that there is nothing more New York-y than the subway system and that this is the perfect way to pay tribute to the bandâs home town. In the song, Karen mentions her metro card, the express train and repeats the line âIâm waiting and Iâm waiting/Iâm waiting and Iâm waitingâŠ,â which is all too relatable, over the recorded and looped muffled backing track of an actual subway carâs rhythmic clack-clack-clack sound.
Though there are a few tracks that never seem to find themselves and become stand-outs, most of the tracks on Mosquito feel fully developed and diverse, yet cohesive as a whole. With each album the band releases, their music feels more controlled and mature. With Fever to Tell, their 2003 debut LP, the band was far more punk with heavy guitars and Karenâs voice screaming and yelping, never trying to be pretty or delicate. But then with 2009âs Itâs Blitz, the band began incorporating a few synthy elements into their music and Karenâs voice became more restrained and beautiful. The songs on Mosquito continue down this road of maturity and allow the band to change and grow, while still feeling like the Yeah Yeah Yeahs.