CD Review: Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, “Hysterical”

Indie eccentrics polish up quirky sound for cleaner feel

Posted on Sept. 25, 2011, at 10:15 p.m.

The Internet can tear something apart before it even has a chance to explain itself, and it can hype hidden greatness out of obscurity.

Clap Your Hands Say Yeah are a prime example of the latter.

The Brooklyn indie rock band self-released their self-titled debut album in 2005 and promotion from MP3 blogs and music websites, most notably Pitchfork, catapulted it into the spotlight. The album did so well that the band was forced to repress the CD and get more copies out there.

Their second album, 2007’s “Some Loud Thunder,” avoided a sophomore slump and did similarly well, becoming CYHSY’s first album to land a spot on the U.S. charts, at No. 47.

Still riding the high from an album that did fairly well, CYHSY did what any band would do — they took a break.

Band members took this time to work on their side and solo projects, arousing rumors saying the band had broken up. Those were dispelled in May 2011 when a new album was announced.

Earlier this month the band released their third effort, “Hysterical.” Only time will tell what fate has in store for it.

Based solely on musical quality, the record should achieve success similar to or greater than the two preceding it.

CYHSY’s first two albums didn’t exactly sound like they were recorded in a professional studio — because they weren’t. That’s not to say the albums didn’t sound good, they just sounded homemade.

The early songs were quirky to say the least — or weird, to put it more precisely. CYHSY polished their sound up this time around, however, and wrote some of the lightest and poppiest songs in the band’s catalogue.

The band made a music video for the lead single “Maniac,” an upbeat ditty with a California surf-rock vibe. Easily the catchiest thing the band has ever written, the simultaneous drum hits and guitar blasts carry the tune through its melodic choruses that sound something like Vampire Weekend mixed with Modest Mouse.

CYHSY has sounded happy before, but this time around the tone is more optimistic. The driving drums and swelling keyboards kick off the record on an uplifting and energetic note.

Singer Alec Ounsworth’s trademark half-mumbled and slurred vocals haven’t gone anywhere, but they seem to fit better with the band’s new, glossier sound, flowing more smoothly with the fluid yet still rambunctious instrumentals.

CYHSY, or at least their second album, used to be characterized by strange blips and beeps. But “Hysterical” is more indebted to ambient keyboards and echoing, delicately-plucked guitars. The new collection of songs is less about weirdness and more about taking you somewhere.

“Misspent Youth” sounds like a U2 “Joshua Tree”-era B-side. Its atmospherics, calming vocals and subtle but driving and sometimes militant drumming create a song constantly progressing to a climax that never quite arrives, but in a good way. The whole thing is understated but not dry.

A bright post-punk and synth pop are juggled here, with “Yesterday, Never” being a cut that leans more to the synth pop side. The intro is organic, but swirling, beeping keyboard lines mix with a downplayed mandolin for a fun, poppy ride.

“Ketamine and Ecstasy” comes off as a happier Joy Division. The drums are pure Joy Division, but the guitars sound closer to The Cure’s more joyful material. The main riff is absolute gold — to drop another name, there is something very R.E.M. about it.

Consistency is a hard feat to achieve when composing an album — writing 10 or so solid tracks is no easy job, but CYHSY got it done. Some may interpret this consistency as lack of variety, and at times, I have to agree. Most of the songs sound fresh and great, but some sound like a rehash of songs before it.

This knocks a few points off the overall grade, but when listened to all the way through, “Hysterical” is a fantastic album and the most accessible one Clap Your Hands Say Yeah has recorded.

Grade: B+

This entry was posted on Sunday, September 25th, 2011, 10:15 pm. You can follow any responses to this article through the RSS feed.