Album Review: Yeah Yeah Yeahs – Mosquito

The last time we were this excited about the Yeah Yeah Yeahs was back in 2009 when they released the stunning electronic brilliance of their third studio album, ‘It’s Blitz’. Up until that point the New York three-piece had delivered mainly guitar driven, underground Punk that sounded completely original on record, and was backed up with a furious stage presence when performed live. But like all of the group’s musical endeavors (Karen’s opera ‘Stop The Virgen’s and movie soundtrack for ‘Where The Wild Things Are’, as well as Nick’s hardcore band Head Wound City), ‘Mosquito’ proves once again that when it comes to the YYY’s, you should always expect the unexpected.

Opening track ‘Sacrilege’ is the perfect starting point. This song alone gives the listener instant access to what makes this band so special. Karen O’s distinctive, unforgettable vocals provide you with a glimpse into her weird and wonderful mind, whilst the fuzzy guitars slide around the constant punching-rhythm of drums. As each verse and chorus builds, you almost feel like you are being preached the word of god. And towards the end, just to confirm His righteous message, in pops a full-blown gospel choir to continue the sermon as each instrument slowly fades away. It’s mighty impressive to say the least.

But one thing that you will notice as you begin to divulge deeper into the dark, inner workings of this album, is that once again the YYY’s have taken to an entirely new sound. It’s a much more challenging listen compared to the freshness of ‘It’s Blitz’, but when you take a look back through their impressive discography, with songs such as ‘Pin’ and ‘Graveyard’, ‘Mosquito’ makes perfect sense. The bizarre sound of ‘Area 52′ is something that no other band would be able to get away with, but on here, with these musicians, it just fits in perfectly.

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