By Shelby Clemons, Staff Writer
The Yeah Yeah Yeahs are back with their first album since the über-successful It’s Blitz! and fourth studio album, Mosquito. Those of us that couldn’t shell out $400 to see their Coachella set can only imagine how great of a show they must’ve put on. Filled with hard and soft rock, plenty of sound effects and tons of variety, Mosquito sinks its teeth into listeners and leaves a mean bite (but without the annoyance).
More seasoned fans of the indie rock band have commented that it’s nothing like their old stuff, which their music hasn’t been like for some time. More recent fans — myself included — won’t notice too much of a change, but instead will appreciate having more Yeah Yeah Yeahs to listen to.
The opening track and album’s single, “Sacrilege,” has a bite like that of a mosquito; it lingers long after it’s gone. With Karen O’s strong vocals, you don’t mind the continuous screeching of “It’s sacrilege, sacrilege, sacrilege.” This is followed by “Subway,” a track that mirrors its title with Karen O’s echoing voice and bumpy beats of a subway car, and packs a mellower punch than the opener.
“Mosquito” is a buzzy tune that’s literally about a mosquito. Maybe I missed a metaphor somewhere along the way, but it’s not as good as a title track should be. Nonetheless, there are plenty of hit songs. “Area 52,” a dance-y tune that echoes the verse “I wanna be an alien,” showing just how eccentric the band is willing to get, right down to its extraterrestrial sound effects. Some songs get to be a bit too trippy for such a mellow setting as my desk, but they’re fun enough to listen to.
Mosquito isn’t the greatest album out there and I can’t say I’m in a rush to buy it, but I’ll definitely listen to the songs on it now and again as the Yeah Yeah Yeahs have proven successful once more.
Courtesy of dailytrojan.com