Album Review: Yeasayer - Odd Blood

       Yeasayer is releasing a new album on Feburary 9^th, 2010 entitled Odd Blood through their label, Secretly Canadian.  So obviously it has leaked if I am writing about it, but go ahead and preorder it. (the price will go down before it comes out if you preorder it now, it does on all but 1 cd I’ve ever pre-ordered from Amazon) The foursome’s new album is much heavier on the synths giving them a more psychedelic sound than their 2007 debut album All Cymbals Hour. You can liken the transformation that Yeasayer has taken from ACH to OB like the one the Yeah Yeah Yeahs took from an alternative Show Your Bones to a synthesized It’s Blitz. They have much more of a definitive sound, a mix between Animal Collective, the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, and TV on the Radio. After listening to through the album numerous times it sounds like Merriweather Post Pavilion was their favorite album of the year and a major influence to Odd Blood.

       It starts off with an almost creepy computerized voice over this dark synthesized beat that would go great on a Halloween ’10 playlist. Luckily “Ambling Alp” swoops in and saves the day from the direction “The Children” were taking the album.  I could swear that “Madder Red” is straight off of Miami Vice or Baywatch. It reminds me of the early 90’s, late 80’s music, with lots of added harmonies to distinguish it as a 2010 Yeasayer song.

      “I Remember” has a very Dan Deacon ring to it, kind of like his song “Of the Mountains,” hmmm…. “ONE” starts off with a video game tune, it has to be, I recognize it from somewhere.  This song builds up just like a game of Jenga, before you start pulling the blocks out. (just when you build it up slowly from nothing)The next song, “Love Me Girl,” is a smoothie made from organic TV on the Radio, European trance, and a little V8 juice.  “Rome” is much better than the Phoenix song with the same name, just for clarification. This song reminds me of Fatboy Slim’s song “Weapon of Choice” (known best probably for its video which has Christopher Walken flying around) Nevertheless, it’s a quality track.

      “Strange Reunions” has a tribal psychedelic sound going which they make work for them, much like Animal Collective does. “Mondegreen” caps off the album with an unusually fast beat, for this album at least, heavy guitar, then leaves you with a one minute cool-down/space odyssey for you to recap and reflect on the great album which you just listened to.