Yeah Yeah Yeahs: "It's Blitz"
By Maha Abbas Radiohead did it, Brian Eno did it, and The Beatles did it. Sometimes remodeling of sound is a good thing. But there’s a difference between refinement – a little je ne sais quoi – and what the Yeah Yeah Yeahs have done with their new release. "It’s Blitz," on sale March 31, is nothing remotely comparable to previous material. Characteristically, it doesn’t give up the art, but it sure does trade in the rock for a new wave sound. What’s left, it seems, is just a trendy band consciously seeking to be one step ahead of the crowd. "It’s Blitz" is doused in the disco based synth-sound and pop vocals that are monopolizing the trend in music today. Synth is the new rock, and new wave is the new indie rock. The Yeah Yeah Yeahs are characteristically ahead of the scene in sound and style, and their sound on "It’s Blitz" isn’t so much a shock as it is a disappointment. It’s a shame that this band, so confident in their "Fever to Tell" days, would let maturity and trend changes affect the sound that so many fans fell for. It's catchy nonetheless. "It’s Blitz" is an undeniably ear-pleasing album. Not one track in the collection is an acquired taste as compared to their previous more indigestible singles. Opening track "Zero" is strikingly feminine: soft, with vocals that demonstrate clear pop influences, with an echoing conventionally constructed square melody. Guitarist Nick Zinner seems to have been on vacation when the album was recorded, making less of an appearance than fans might anticipate. “Heads will Roll,” the second single on the release sounds like an anti-climactic 80's dance tune despite its initial catchiness. The remains of the old Yeah Yeah Yeahs' sound are salvaged in the track "Dull Life" with its garage rock feel, guitar set to a lower pitch and more prominent drumming with more pressured and energetic vocals. "Dragon Queen" illustrates the 180-degree turn the band makes with their new sound, opening with an almost Arabic-influenced guitar riff graduating into the sound of elevator music. It's a track that's paced more slowly than what one might be used to with the Yeah Yeah Yeahs. The song's slower pace is part of the album's motif. Perhaps "It's Blitz" is not a bad album, just not geared toward the same audience. Karen O, vocalist of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, came on the scene as one of the more edgy female musical archetypes: the sexualized dirty-punk queen. Where once she was compared to No Wave superstar Lydia Lunch, now it’s offensive to even put the two in the same category. "It’s Blitz" not only lacks Karen O’s signature screaming vocals, it doesn't even stay genre-relevant. After their appearance on the 2004 documentary "Kill Your Idols" about the underground No Wave generation, why would they release a mediocre synth-pop CD? Would I recommend the album? Yes, if you enjoy bands like Metric, and Stars, but not if you are a loyal fan of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs' original raw sound. |
