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Track Listings
| 1. The Children |
| 2. Ambling Alp |
| 3. Madder Red |
| 4. I Remember |
| 5. O.N.E |
| 6. Love Me Girl |
| 7. Rome |
| 8. Strange Reunions |
| 9. Mondegreen |
| 10. Grizelda |
Product Description
Review
In 2007, Yeasayer were guaranteed attention with the double-whammy of African-influenced rhythms and a Williamsburg, Brooklyn address. Still, 2080 was one of the year’s best singles – Gang Gang Dance with pop sensibilities, or the Beta Band with sincerity. At their heaviest (Wintertime), Yeasayer were a seductive, slinkier Led Zeppelin, toning down the machismo, but none of the musicianship.
2009 saw members of the band guest on the second album by Bat for Lashes, a fellow traveller in the world of shamanic whimsy, and ended with a mind-melting video to Ambling Amp (a strong return). Here’s the good news: the single isn’t even the third or fourth best track, and it’s Madder Red and O.N.E. that should be filling dancefloors at the end of the decade, let alone 2010. The new sound features a dense, Dave Fridmann-like production: pumping, parping, squelching sounds familiar to those from The Flaming Lips, or MGMT, but rarely coupled to such strong hooks, or vocal performances, by either.
O.N.E. has a thousand brilliant ideas, reminding you of Cut Copy, Vampire Weekend and The Rapture from moment to moment. There’s a yawing synth that seems borrowed from Radiohead’s Idioteque, to make you pause on the dancefloor, and then a falsetto coda like prime OutKast. Love Me Girl opens like several classic Pet Shop Boys singles at once (the organ from It’s a Sin, the vocal loop from Heart, the house-piano and synth-trumpet fanfares from… oh, you get the idea). Penultimate track Mondegreen might be ghastly on paper, given its chorus: “Everyone’s talking ’bout me an’ my baby / Making love to the morning light / Making love to the morning, to the morning light”. Couple that with handclaps and a blaring sax-riff, though, and somehow it works, like Bowie’s white-soul pastiches.
One website has proclaimed Odd Blood its Most Anticipated Album of 2010, but cautioned that it’s front-weighted with its strongest songs. But rest assured: it’s not until track eight that you get a break, during the acoustic Strange Reunions. And while the closing track is similarly brief, it also manages to suggest our intrepid explorers are heading into something like the Church of the Red Cave (as on the debut) with its dwindling chorus, in search of further inspiration. What comes next, who can say? --Alex Tudor
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
14 of 16 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
The Amazon editorial review creates a thesis of the classic "game of two halves" when it comes to Yeasayer's new album "Odd Blood". Thus one side of the album is straightforward pop music while the other is more "experimental". A deeper listen of this album suggests that this theory is perhaps a little too orderly and neat. "All hour cymbals" the debut by Yeasayer is a personal favourite and the songs Sunrise and the epic "2080" (with its "Yeah Yeah" refrain) should be sought out immediately if you have not yet heard the band and their "Middle Eastern-Psych-Pop-Snap-Gospel" (the bands description not mine!). Yeasayer are part of sonic boom that occurred when the Brooklyn conveyor belt started churning a few years back and produced contemporaries like Animal Collective, Grizzly Bear, Dirty Projectors, the Antlers, MGMT and more recently White Rabbits. No one can quite pin down what's happening on the far side of New York's East River with it becoming the "indie" capital of the planet in the same way that Seattle begat "grunge". What we do know it that for many Yeasayer have the potential to the greatest of all these bands. This clearly is a big claim and is it just another large and potentially insurmountable bit of music hype or proper recognition of the huge potential showed on AHC?
"Odd Blood" starts with the "The Children". Its industrial in its feel, has a distorted vox form vocals and is eerie and oppressive. Frankly it would be a bizarre opener to any an album and its a terrible start. Its crunchy sludge motif continues into "Amblin Alp" the first single.But then suddenly this transforms into the album into electropop dance music with a song chock full of catchy hooks and reggae bounce with a great vocal by Chris Keating.... Read more ›
"Odd Blood" starts with the "The Children". Its industrial in its feel, has a distorted vox form vocals and is eerie and oppressive. Frankly it would be a bizarre opener to any an album and its a terrible start. Its crunchy sludge motif continues into "Amblin Alp" the first single.But then suddenly this transforms into the album into electropop dance music with a song chock full of catchy hooks and reggae bounce with a great vocal by Chris Keating.... Read more ›
By NIMROD
Format:Audio CD|Amazon Verified Purchase
When I first went nuts over Simian Mobile Disco's Audacity Of Huge (featuring Yeasayer's Chris Keating on vocals), I had never heard Yeasayer. Needless to say, I went similarly nuts over Yeasayer's sophomore oeuvre, Odd Blood, once I discovered it. And I must say, it has since then etched itself onto my personal list of favourite records.
Yeasayer perfectly achieves that which I admire most about the music industry, namely skirting that fine line between obscurely and independently alternative and charmingly accessible mainstream, for lack of a better word. Yes, Yeasayer is at times a bit on the weird side, and their eclectic style may not appeal to everyone, but Keating's vocals in particular and the songwriting behind it reveal an otherwise pure pop nature at the same level as any other uber-popular hit artist, and I suspect that combination has helped generate much of the attraction surrounding the band.
Speaking of weird, take the opening track 'The Children,' with its decrepit robot singing and bubbly, sleepy beat. I guess Yeasayer is an indie band, to return to boring definitions - maybe synthpop. But it's their affinity for experimentation that makes them stand out in a world full of radio pumping homogeneous hits. 'Ampling Alp' is one such stand-out track, a hit that sports a background story, making the fine lyrics very interesting. 'Madder Red' is dream pop, or rather what dream pop should sound like, because dream pop is boring in comparison. It's groovy electropop with an epic refrain! 'I Remember' sounds like something Colplay could turn out if they eschewed their own hype and started thinking so far outside the box that the distance would make them dizzy; a sentimental ballad with wispy synthesizers and Keating's voice at its finest.... Read more ›
Yeasayer perfectly achieves that which I admire most about the music industry, namely skirting that fine line between obscurely and independently alternative and charmingly accessible mainstream, for lack of a better word. Yes, Yeasayer is at times a bit on the weird side, and their eclectic style may not appeal to everyone, but Keating's vocals in particular and the songwriting behind it reveal an otherwise pure pop nature at the same level as any other uber-popular hit artist, and I suspect that combination has helped generate much of the attraction surrounding the band.
Speaking of weird, take the opening track 'The Children,' with its decrepit robot singing and bubbly, sleepy beat. I guess Yeasayer is an indie band, to return to boring definitions - maybe synthpop. But it's their affinity for experimentation that makes them stand out in a world full of radio pumping homogeneous hits. 'Ampling Alp' is one such stand-out track, a hit that sports a background story, making the fine lyrics very interesting. 'Madder Red' is dream pop, or rather what dream pop should sound like, because dream pop is boring in comparison. It's groovy electropop with an epic refrain! 'I Remember' sounds like something Colplay could turn out if they eschewed their own hype and started thinking so far outside the box that the distance would make them dizzy; a sentimental ballad with wispy synthesizers and Keating's voice at its finest.... Read more ›
By tooplanx
Format:Audio CD|Amazon Verified Purchase
Well, first of all this is significantly different to the first, very original, album. After hearing Ambling Alp and ONE I was persuaded to try this album (I had heard all the comments about dissapointment). I thought that Ambling Alp and ONE would be the popiest 'singles' and that the rest would be more All Hour Cymbals- like. If anything, the reverse is true, with Ambling Alp being the closest thing to the first album.
The rest of the album is alot more electro-pop and kind of 'camp' in many places with most subject matters being romance based and with some oompa-oompa base lines similar to Scissor Sisters in places. On the whole it sounds alot like Yeasayer to doing a version of Friendly Fires (who I do like)- interesting, poppy, electro dance with alternative / indie influences. Example of the cheesiness: 'Mondegreen' has the refrain "Everyone's talking about me an ma baby! Making love till the mornin' light!" accompanied by Madness-like trumpets.
Now, don't get me wrong, if you are fairly open about your musical tastes (and quite like Friendly Fires) you will find an enjoyable album with plenty of catchy and interesting songs. I can imagine 'ONE' being a pretty big club anthem, and songs like 'I Remember' making good singles.
If, however, you detest poppyness and only want a unique, melancholic, folky, experimental, ethereal album like 'All Hour Cymbals', then you are probably going to be greatly dissapointed.
Still an enjoyable album, but much more lightweight and poppy than the first.
The rest of the album is alot more electro-pop and kind of 'camp' in many places with most subject matters being romance based and with some oompa-oompa base lines similar to Scissor Sisters in places. On the whole it sounds alot like Yeasayer to doing a version of Friendly Fires (who I do like)- interesting, poppy, electro dance with alternative / indie influences. Example of the cheesiness: 'Mondegreen' has the refrain "Everyone's talking about me an ma baby! Making love till the mornin' light!" accompanied by Madness-like trumpets.
Now, don't get me wrong, if you are fairly open about your musical tastes (and quite like Friendly Fires) you will find an enjoyable album with plenty of catchy and interesting songs. I can imagine 'ONE' being a pretty big club anthem, and songs like 'I Remember' making good singles.
If, however, you detest poppyness and only want a unique, melancholic, folky, experimental, ethereal album like 'All Hour Cymbals', then you are probably going to be greatly dissapointed.
Still an enjoyable album, but much more lightweight and poppy than the first.
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3.9 out of 5 stars
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
Impressive and odd
Yeasayer are not conventional - their stuff is whacky but catchy and they are so animated live. A bit odder than indie.
Published on 29 Jan 2011 by Lolaa
5.0 out of 5 stars
Odd Pop Music
I can kind of understand why people think this album is too 80's and pop, I had a similar problem on the first few listens. Read more
Published on 31 Aug 2010 by the pelican
5.0 out of 5 stars
yeasayer odd blood
this has got to be the best new music i have heard for a long time.i saw them on jules holland (tv) & though mmmm i`ll try that,bought the record on spec & it has blown me... Read more
Published on 30 May 2010 by geoff hummerstone
4.0 out of 5 stars
Yep. Better, but far from perfect
I won't write long paragraphs about this album but i will say what, IMO, is good and bad about it.
The first track 'the children' i like, as it's an uncoventional and... Read more
The first track 'the children' i like, as it's an uncoventional and... Read more
Published on 14 May 2010 by Mr. S. Bennett
3.0 out of 5 stars
Not essential
Oddly, it bloody reminds me of early 1980's UK pop. Tears For Fears' The Hurting and Japan (such as in The Collection) to be precise. Read more
Published on 14 May 2010 by Stan FREDO
1.0 out of 5 stars
"Disappointing" doesn't even come close
Yeasayer had a task to top their brilliant debut, and so quite rightly decided to take an almighty leap in another direction altogether for this follow up. Read more
Published on 21 Feb 2010 by Adam K.
4.0 out of 5 stars
Yeasayer Edge Closer To Greatness
Yeasayer's debut release (2007's 'All Hour Cymbals') was a very promising mix of world beats and accessable pop hooks. Read more
Published on 9 Feb 2010 by Mr. H Chinaski
4.0 out of 5 stars
Strokey Beards And Disco Delirium
Yeasayer's 2007 debut 'All Hour Cymbals' was a lot of fun.
Unselfconscious arthouse rock of almost the highest order. Read more
Unselfconscious arthouse rock of almost the highest order. Read more
Published on 9 Feb 2010 by The Wolf
4.0 out of 5 stars
It's Pop Jim, But Not As We Know It (8/10)
So the story goes, the Animal Collective-Odd Blood connection is two-fold.
Firstly, in releasing a very early, much-lauded (whisper it) "album of the year contender",... Read more
Firstly, in releasing a very early, much-lauded (whisper it) "album of the year contender",... Read more
Published on 9 Feb 2010 by Gannon
3.0 out of 5 stars
Ambling
I saw the video for Ambling Alp on NMEtv its a fantastic song , got the album because of it, i thought it sounded a little too poppy for me, to be fair i wasnt expecting it to be... Read more
Published on 8 Feb 2010 by Mr. P. Wood
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