Yeasayer - Odd Blood (2010)

Rating: 8.5 / 10

It has been nearly three years since Yeasayer's debut album, but it seems like they have used this time very wisely. After a long wait, new album Odd Blood certainly does not dissapoint.

With a dark, deep and peculiar intro song, "The Children", the next song "Ambling Alp" is a complete contrast, with an upbeat tempo and lyrics to match. This is the first single from the album, however it is by far not the best.

The album then takes a more docile turn with the song "Madder Red", which seems to fit more with their first album. It is a bit more 80s pop revival than some may like, which then leads to a more MGMTesque anthem in "I Remember". Here we start to see just what Yeasayer are about, with complex musical arrangements, great vocals and a lot of passion in what they do.

All of sudden we get a total different side to their music, with one of the most energetic songs on the album, "The One", which in typical music of our day, compliments the past in pop. It has a sort of 80s Hollywood movie feel to it, with 90s vocals all complimented with a great hook.

The next song certainly cannot be called pop music. The intro to "Love Me Girl" can be very misleading to the listener, for me it seemed like the start of a Pendulum song. Instead we get a song that seems to have elements of 90s House music, garage and more recently dubstep, all complimented with great vocals that make the song refreshing, and very addictive. "Rome" is a less serious song, with a quirky melody and hints of funk. The song is broken down at periods with clever percussions. However in all it is similar to "Ambling Alp" as being a good single, but doesn't really expose Yeasayers experimental side.

"Strange Reunions" sounds like a caleidoscopic Eastern-Indie mix, similar to that of their debut album. This song is in stark contrast to the quicker tempo song "Mondegreen", which seems to have been a very complicated ensemble of instruments all to have been played at a higher bpm then that was supposed to. This is where we see their experimental side try to take over the music, which is unfortunate.

The final song "Grizelda" however is the perfect ending to an album of this sort. It sounds like a strange mash-up of The Dirty Projectors and MGMT, however it works incredibly well. The melody and vocal are both spellbouding, and makes this final song a suitable encore for the album.

It is true that generally this album can be called more high tempo, upbeat and danceable, however this does not do justice to just what has improved for Yeasayer since the debut album. Being an experimental band, from taking their interest in so many sounds, they seem to have finally found the right formula, and created something very special. Dare I say it, I myself have been a sceptic of bands such as MGMT and Vampire Weekend, however the new Yeasayer album seems to show just how to do it. Kudos

Hear - Ambling Alp (single)