With a combination of staccato punk and biting art rock, the New York group Yeah Yeah Yeahs caused a sensation in 2003 with their debut album Fever To Tell. Led by the eccentric stage beast Karen O, this bassless trio built a catchy bridge between no wave and the then prevailing wave of alternative guitar rock bands (The Strokes, White Stripes). After that O became a style icon and she graced the
… cover of many hip fashion magazines. Mosquito is their fourth album. It starts energetically with the solid single Sacrilege. Here Yeah Yeah Yeahs sounds like they used to and they immediately forget the cold, electronically dominated predecessor It's Blitz (2009). But despite attracting no less than three distinguished producers - David Andrew Sitek, Nick Launay and James Murphey - Mosquito has become a somewhat directionless album. Heavy and elementary songs (the group at its best) are interspersed with striking poppy repertoire and ballads, the low point being Buried Alive with dutifully tough raps by guest Dr. Octagon. It is not surprising that Yeah Yeah Yeahs has evolved in ten years, but growing into a pop band does not seem like the right path. (MR)more
