Clap Your Hands Say Yeah
http://www.clapyourhandssayyeah.com
styles: sophisti-pop, alternative rock
others: Talking Heads, The Arcade Fire, Thom Yorke, Ride
 Clap
Your Hands Say Yeah
Self-Released, 2005
rating: 4.5/5
reviewer: amneziak
I'm not always sure where my music choices come from, nor can I understand why
I'm so adamant to analyze and defend them. Many music enthusiasts get downright
ugly if you even hint at showing disregard for something they love, yet I guess
that's just a distinct trait of those who take their music seriously. But for us
jaded listeners that pledge devotion to the avant-garde and noise albums of
today, is it still possible for us to like good ol' wholesome pop music?
New York's newest underground party pack Clap Your Hands Say Yeah is a band
teetering on the fence of obscurity and stardom,
with so much hype that even David Bowie is showing up to their gigs.
Their self-titled (and self-released) debut
is an album which will force even the most hardened listeners to throw in the towel.
And it's about fucking time!!! I, for one, have needed a great pop record for a
very long time. This is perfect timing, too, because I've been pretty
disenchanted with what's happened in 2005 so far.
On the album's intro, "Clap Your Hands," I'm reminded of what it might be like
if Jack White sang during the 7th Inning stretch of a Cubs game. It swiftly
leads into the first proper song, called "Let the Cool Goddess Rust Away," where
we're met with perfectly paced pop and quaint, yet familiar sounding, vocals
from Alec Ounsworth. While many are quick to dismiss him as Byrne derivative,
I'm more inclined to compare him to a shakier live version of Thom Yorke.
Nevertheless, I find Ounsworth to be quite original in terms of distinction,
someone who will certainly make a name for himself in the months to come. His
band mates better watch out, too.
While I won't challenge that "Over and Over Again (Lost and Found)" could be
quickly labeled a second coming of the Talking Heads, I'll admit that I find it
more enjoyable than just about anything they ever recorded. The carefree
approach in which this song takes is enough to give credibility to the band's
gift to be original. "Details of the War," a decisive favorite of the TMT staff,
changes route for a moment to show a more emotive side to the band's repertoire.
Appearing to completely forgo the giddy tone of the album, it takes a step back
and gives it to us straight. Or does it?
Where someone might be thrown off by CYHSY is in the vocals of "The Skin of My
Yellow Country Teeth," which admittedly, are somewhat peculiar. But after nearly
two listens to the song, you begin to realize that the instrumentation is
equally as interesting and important to the juxtaposition of their sound. I
might add here, while we're on the subject, that it's the juxtaposition of
sounds that truly makes Clap Your Hands Say Yeah pleasurable.
For my personal favorite song, "In This Home on Ice," I find myself wanting to
claim it as the best pop song I've heard in a long damn time. Borrowing equally
from early '90s bands like The Sundays and Ride, the faultless tempo and aural
textures remind me of all my favorite songs from that time. But please don't ask
me to tell you what Ounsworth sings, because I haven't got a fucking clue; nor
do I care. It's the feelings of happiness and nostalgia I get from the music
that are important to me.
To be honest, the last statement in the previous paragraph is pretty much the
overall consensus I have about Clap Your Hands Say Yeah. There's nothing
overly inventive about the contents of this disc, and I certainly wouldn't go so
far as to call it ground breaking. However, since I don't always find pop albums
to be overly enjoyable, I'm excited that this one has allowed me to let my guard
down and be reminded that it's still possible for the jaded listener to like
good ol' wholesome pop music.
1. Clap Your Hands!
2. Let the Cool Goddess Rust Away
3. Over and Over Again (Lost and Found)
4. Sunshine and Clouds and Everything Proud
5. Details of the War
6. The Skin of My Yellow Country Teeth
7. Is This Love?
8. Heavy Metal
9. Blue Turning Gray
10. In This Home on Ice
11. Gimme Some Salt
12. Upon This Tidal Wave of Young Blood
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