Always look out for the bright new thing. That’s going to be the advice I give to my son when he gets a bit older, along with “No, drinking that mescal really isn’t a good idea”. Yeasayer have been getting loads of good press for “Odd Blood”; people saying it’s this year’s Animal Collective.
I think that’s about right. Animal Collective always struck me as a band with big brains but little soul, and without the keen sense of melody and tone that makes ostensibly similar bands like Grizzly Bear so damned wonderful. So it is with Yeasayer. Now, I’m the kind of guy who needs to compare and contrast, and here is my Yeasayer C&C:
Erasure meets TV On The Radio.
Prancing Electro keyboards? Check. Dramatic, wrought vocals? Check. Juicy horn parps. Check! At times, they sound like a particularly outre Pet Shop Boys song.
Well, It's A Better Cover Than The Last One
The album’s out on 8th February; maybe once I’ve heard the whole thing properly it’ll start to settle in. But I tried that with Animal Collective and it just didn’t click. In other words, everyone else raves about them whilst I sit on the sidelines going “What are you all on about?”. In the meantime, try “Ambling Alp” for yourself (below), and if you’re still Yea-Curious, you can download “O.N.E.” from their website here (you need to give your email address, which seems a fair trade).
Loft And Lost 
Jeff
/ February 2, 2010Did you listen to their first one at all? Frankly, I think this is a huge step forward. Challenging music, but still accessible.
loftandlost
/ February 3, 2010Yes, and I was a bit perplexed about it too – it really didn’t click with me either. I’ll give the new one a proper go over the next few weeks and see if it starts to work on me…
Adam Export
/ February 3, 2010I kind of fall into the same camp of these bands never clicking (Animal Collective especially). I think you described it right with the “band with big brains but little soul” comment. Sometimes people over think it and that, in turn, ruins it.