Indie rock band a true phenomena

Many of the New York based indie rock pioneers of the last five years, such as The Strokes and Interpol, broke ground with their debut releases, which were then followed by extensive hiatuses and sophomore albums that fans, for the most part, believed hardly compared to their debuts. However, comparing debuts with follow up albums is never a good thing, and the disappointment that fans face after expecting another, Is This It leads to a cautious approach whenever their favorite band releases a new album. \nThe Yeah Yeah Yeahs are a band that emerged from that New York indie rock scene, and some of the things that set this trio apart from the rest were lead singer Karen O's wild antics on stage and the band's raw, fast-paced and piercing blend of garage rock and alternative. It's been three years since Fever to Tell, the band's first major label release, and in that time, the Yeah Yeah Yeahs have developed into the band they've always wanted to be. \nShow Your Bones, the band's second and newest album, is evidence that the Yeah Yeah Yeahs have transformed themselves into a rock band that can produce fun, pleasant and light-hearted songs that you can dance and clap your hands to. This is not to say that the Yeah Yeah Yeahs have turned into a pop group, instead they've managed to alter their sound in the ways that artists like Beck and Blonde Redhead have. \nNick Zinner's guitar still echoes throughout this album, and he mixes it with solid acoustic compositions that can be heard on tracks like the new single, "Gold Lion." The carefully orchestrated thumping of Brian Chase's bass drum and the crashing of his cymbals provide the perfect backdrop, as do the synth and drum machine parts. Another notable track is the song "Phenomena," which sounds like a rock anthem that I could imagine being played at basketball games (but it hopefully won't). \nThe Yeah Yeah Yeahs manage to stay unconventional, vibrant and energetic as they've always been, but with a more refined quality now present in their music. The key difference though is particularly Karen O. The overt and sexually charged front woman that regularly wore bright colored leotards, poured beer over herself at shows and shoved microphones in her mouth, can now be seen on the inside of the Show Your Bones CD, modestly dressed in black and sitting on grass by a tree. She has reinvented herself and grown out of her crass and in your face feminist persona. \nWhile her vocals on Show Your Bones are mellow and her token screaming and moaning have faded, she can still capture listeners with her abstract lyrics and dynamic, uplifting voice. In a recent interview with the online music community, Drowned in Sound, Karen O said that "Show Your Bones is what happens when you put your finger in a light socket," and I have to agree that something certainly sparked within them on this album. Karen O shows her softer side and the band proves they've matured over the past three years and ultimately, how pleased they are with their new look.