Yeah Yeah Yeahs — It's Blitz!

It's Blitz!

Interscope/Universal

Jen White (CHARTattack)

04/06/2009 2:40pm

Yeah Yeah Yeahs explained last fall that their third studio album wouldn't sound like anything they'd done before. Well, the New York trio weren't kidding. It's Blitz! (and its amazing cover) sees the band opting for more dance-inspired indie rock.

It's kind of a shock when you hear opener and first single "Zero." It's a sleek, catchy dance track that could appeal to both indie hipsters and clubbers. (Torontonians, think Dance Cave-meets-entertainment district. Yeah, it takes a minute to wrap your head around it.) "Heads Will Roll" continues in this same vein, with the chorus: "Off with your head/Dance 'til you're dead."

Fever To Tell's explosive energy and organic sound are gone and have been replaced with new wave dance tracks that concentrate on keyboards and layered, synthetic sounds. Karen O's distinct vocals are still front and centre, but aren't as raw on this polished effort that was produced by TV On The Radio's Dave Sitek and Nick Launay (Silverchair, Nick Cave And The Bad Seeds).

"Dull Life" is the closest track to the Yeah Yeah Yeahs catalogue, with its punk-tinged sound that allows the band to let loose. "Shame And Fortune" also hints at old-school YYYs, but it's too repetitive and boring to capture that old magic.

The album then starts to simmer down with the spooky and slow-moving "Runaway," which drags on too long, and the weird, slow-burning "Dragon Queen," which buries O's vocals too much in the mix.

Luckily, It's Blitz! ends on a high note. "Hysteric" is a calmer track that slowly builds, with horns hiding in the background, and the slow but emotional "Little Shadow" perfectly caps the album, like coming home to see the sunrise after a late night on the dance floor.

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