Two songs into “Odd Blood,” the dance-party-on-Neptune new album by Yeasayer, ’80s synths melt around pounding tom-toms and lead singer Chris Keating delivers lyrics seemingly lifted from a self-help book: “You must stick up for yourself, son/ Never mind what anybody else done.” It’s a mix of parts that, on paper, shouldn’t work. Yet, on “Ambling Alp” and throughout the 10 tracks on the album, Yeasayer churns out weird yet likable music that sets it apart from hype-ster peers like Animal Collective and Of Montreal because the experimentation never obscures the songcraft.
“Ambling Alp” is joined by the equally anthemic dancefloor gem “O.N.E.” but also the relatively restrained “Madder Red,” a mid-tempo track that almost resembles a latter-day Moody Blues number at one point. The influences and sounds are scattershot, but the feel is consistent, thanks to the performances and production by Yeasayer — Keating (lead vocals, keyboards), Anand Wilder (guitars, keyboards, vocals) and Ira Wolf Tuton (bass, vocals) — with help from former Peter Gabriel drummer Jerry Marotta. And the ’80s effects and sonics are effective tools used to flesh out the songs, not the tacked-on kitsch currently en vogue in indie rock and beyond.
“I Remember” is peppered with an effect that Electric Light Orchestra or Olivia Newton John would be proud of, with Keating intoning, “I remember making out on the airplane/ Still afraid of flying, but with you I’d die today” in a falsetto akin to Of Montreal’s Kevin Barnes or Jake Shears of the Scissor Sisters. “Love Me Girl” starts with a slow-building rave beat for nearly two minutes and eventually creeps into hip-hop territory, but in weirdo fashion. “Mondegreen” is a heavy dance track, with hand claps, trilling synths and emphatic vocals, and the chilled-out “Grizelda” coolly closes “Odd Blood,” a welcome bottle of water after a sweaty evening.
Keating said in an interview that he wanted the songs on “Odd Blood” to “sonically challenge Rihanna in the clubs.” While he might’ve been being sarcastic, there is much truth in his statement, as this album is indeed “r&b for people who still refuse to listen to actual r&b,” as the Village Voice recently put it. The sounds reside somewhere between the “Star Wars” Cantina Band and a more earthbound rave, with movement packed into every note. That said, Keating’s vocals are not a mere addendum to the party; he sings with emotion and nuance on an album that is as good as it is strange.
Rating: W W W W
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