YEASAYER play the Danforth Music Hall on November 9. See listing. Rating: NNN
On their third album, Brooklyn-via-Baltimore experimentalists Yeasayer step back from the poppier elements of their previous album with mixed results. In no way do the three-piece sound like they’re phoning in takes or getting lazy about pushing their tribalistic and danceable indie rock into new realms of synthetic exploration.
In fact, though the lyrics continue to focus on futuristic gloom, there’s generally a brighter, lighter and hugely electronic feel to the 11 songs. They burst with disparate ideas that take things in weird and atypical directions, leaving us woozy and disoriented.
But the fractured sounds give us little to hold on to the songwriting’s hidden behind so much distraction. Chris Keating’s soulful vocals, however, sound better than ever, sometimes evoking George Michael or David Byrne. His effects-enhanced performance in second track Longevity is a standout.
Top track: Longevity
