A Blitz of Hitz!

It’s 2009, and the return of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs! At first, you may ask where’s that usual drum pounding and guitar picking frenzy we all love ‘em for? Well, they’re back and trying out newer sounds, and you know what it doesn’t matter. YYYs have always been fashionable and THE trendsetters we’ve always loved them for, pioneering the way forward in music for all envious comrades.
“It’s Blitz!” highlights Miss Karen O as charismatic as ever, and single “Zero” is as indie disco as it gets, I’d go as far to say it defines it, but then again, YYYs have always delivered on those kind of tunes.

Just imagining “Zero” makes my hair stand on end, from the pulsating electro beat to the “Shake it” dance command, which is all you want to do by a mere 3 seconds of hearing this fine amalgamation of sounds. With the sexual “Get your leather on” from the lips of Miss O, her unfathomable voice carries the song highlighting the magic.
Sonically it’s HUGE, and won’t fail to get you moving “like a mad man on the run”, and there’s no better song to announce their comeback, being an instant hit and favourite with YYY fans. “Zero” is as explosive as “Date with the Night”, its sister song (as other comparisons can be made on their third album). The hypnotic electric bridge and “shell shock” of this unblemished perfection in sound and array of indie glitz and glamour, is purely astounding, giving off the energizing and feel-good factor; deserving to be one of the major anthems of the year.

Next up is “Heads will Roll”. From the circus fair intro you know this is an album of fun. With authoritive lines of “Off with the head” and “Dance, dance till you’re dead”, she is the commanding Queen of rock ‘n’ roll, the only Queen of rock ‘n’ roll., describing the “It’s Blitz!” dance floor scene as it’s unleashed and the people lose control. It’s a musical whirlwind of madness with tense lyrics which then contrasts to the hushing vocals “Shut your eyes” which is just beauty. Even by the end of song 2, it’s possible to assume that their third record is their best yet.

“Soft Shock” is a fine example of Miss O’s feminine wiles on record, to break up the sounds and to compliment the larger sounds of “Zero” and “Dull life”. Ultimately, this dreamy melody leads perfectly into the harmonious “Skeletons”.
Now this is special, this is THE new “Maps”. The NEW love song. “Skeletons” will tug on your heartstrings from the gentle sounds of love, care, emotion and want in O’s voice, from “Skeleton and me” and the lulling “fall asleep”. This is the perfect love story told in song; another major highlight of “It’s Blitz!”. The Bagpipe (esque) interlude washes a feeling of pride and unity over you as the elements combine. The musical manifest at the end is superbly and sensationally chilling, ready for the more heavy “Dull life”.

As you envisage the rocky highroad, “Dull life” would be the soundtrack. Pounding drums, and the first time in which we hear Nick’s raw guitar, the country rock ‘n’ roll sound is alive. This is the good old YYYs we know with these massive beats. True they’re trying out new styles but it still definitely all works, and is SO, SO catchy by the time the chorus kicks in.; floor tapping, heading banging, finger drumming and all. It may be a dull life, but not any longer with this album around. This track echoes sounds of the familiar with a dream like landscape from the penetrating music almost to the point of fantasy; it’s all too good to be true.
Again we see the more rocky side to the YYYs with “Shame and Fortune”. It’s raw, it’s bassy, and it’s sassy with bare vocals to boot. With louder drums, and louder guitars, “It’s Blitz!” has already taken us on a journey of indie dance to soft rock, to country, and to just pure edgy rock and roll. With resemblances to BRMC, “Shame and Fortune” is further proof that their new sounds work, with the addition of Karen O always bringing their uniqueness and shine. Here, she’s as sexy as ever, the line: “Lose, when I play your game” smolders over the listener accompanied by the raunchy and storming guitar.

“Runaway” is the most different sound for the group to date. It’s new and quirky, yet you can’t help but picture some club with a lonesome piano at which Karen O is sitting and lamenting of “feeling sad”. The build-up, of “Run, run, runaway”, and “Lost, lost, lost my mind” just keeps on getting stronger. From the heartrending key notes to the sinister violins to amplify the tension of their newly covered ground, then, queue in the drums and guitar to give more support to this broken heart we’re hearing. However, it’s far from depressing as we still embark on this musical tour of sounds.

Then, time for another change. “Dragon Queen” is where we’re back to majestic disco/electro rock, and is very 1970’s. It’s the kind of sound Ladyhawke aspires to, but let’s not forget who was first on the scene, and to track number 8, you can just lie back and enjoy the summer vibe.
In “Hysteric” once more, we hear the beautiful Miss O and the artistic imagery of “cinders, the cinders, light the path” along with her pristine pronunciation which keeps us holding on. More hazy, dreamy sounds surround this (not so as intense as “Skeletons”) love song, and suddenly you learn YYYs have got more grown up. Not that we don’t love Black tongue’s madness: “Boy you’re just a stupid b*tch and girl you’re just a no good d*ck”, but now they’re singing of heartbreaks and relationships; more new ground.
The finale of the album features “Little Shadow”, the softer sister track to “Skeletons”, as empathetic and focusing on companionship, it’s acoustic and mellow, an effect probably to make the bigger tracks, i.e. the electrifying “Zero” stand out, but it makes for a perfect end to a perfectly adventurous album..
It just leaves me to say what an absolute shame it is that the YYYs are only back to the UK for two London shows later this April. They must, must, must, come back for two dates so we can celebrate with them this fantastic piece of musical art. Yeah!