New York's critically adored art punk trio, the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, return after a three-year absence with a new album, Show Your Bones. Advance critical reaction suggested this would be a more refined and mellow album, and introduced with acoustic guitar strums on first single and album opener Gold Lion,\ Bones does appear to be a new beast. While certainly not as raw and sexual as their debut Fever to Tell, the new album still features the familiar guitar prowess of Nick Zinner, the pile-driving drums of Brian Chase, and the commanding vocal presence of Karen O. Furthermore, there is a similar movement from a more rocking first half to a reflective, softer second half.
Produced by Spike Jonze's brother Squeak E. Clean (producer of Adidas' ""Hello Tomorrow"" commercial featuring Karen O's vocals), Bones features uniformly polished and mature compositions and lyrical themes. ""Gold Lion"" is a well-produced single with a layering of guitars, double-tracked vocals, an identifiable bridge and a steady build-up in energy. O sings convincingly, if obliquely, that ""We'll build a fire in your eyes / Cold desire, makes the moon without a tide."" ""Way Out"" is a mid-tempo number that allows breaks for Zinner to demonstrate his unique guitar style.
""Cheated Hearts"" is an attempt at following up the success of the first album's haunting single ""Maps,"" which is one of the best songs of the decade. While it falls short of that, ""Hearts"" does have memorable lines like ""Sometimes I think that I'm bigger than the sound,"" as well as effective dynamic shifts. Closer ""Turn Into"" continues the tradition of one knockout song per album. Starting once more from an acoustic guitar strum, the song builds to a gorgeous bridge with beautiful piano and O intoning ""Can't say why I kept this from you / My, those quiet eyes become you"" before Zinner lets loose a theremin-like guitar solo and Chase pounds away triumphantly.
Despite these highlights, many songs on the album fail to connect. ""Fancy"" begins to grate quickly, ""Dudley"" is one mellow song too many coming immediately after ""Cheated Hearts,"" and the second half of the album is lackluster, with the notable exception of ""Turn Into.""
Show Your Bones has a more consistent variety of dynamics, tempos and styles than Fever to Tell. O's heartbroken lyrics make this something of a break-up album. She also avoids repeating herself by largely eschewing her sex kitten persona in favor of a reflective but still emotional vocal presence. Hopefully the Yeah Yeah Yeahs' evolution as a creative and forceful band will soon yield an album with a greater number of memorable songs.
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