Album Review: Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Mosquito

The Yeah Yeah Yeahs burst forth from the alt-rock revival scene a decade ago with unapologetically aggressive punk songs that they covered in costumes and glitter and showmanship, and spat back to crowds who had gone along to witness The Thing that everyone was talking about. They packaged all of this into debut album Fever to Tell that - with tracks like ‘Date with the Night’ and ‘Tick’ - was nothing short of impressively relentless. That is, until the band wanted it to be, and ballad ‘Maps’ turned Fever to Tell’s thick, sticky 'tude upside down, proving both the band’s ingenuity and depth. When they followed their debut up with Show Your Bones, one did wonder what the hell was going on. But as the artwork was explained – a fan-designed YYY flag borne from a competition the band held (punk lives) – the album’s thematic heart revealed itself and the introspection of ‘Cheated Hearts’ and ‘Turn Into’ proved as powerful after multiple listens as Fever To Tell’s rambunctious nature. 2009’s It’s Blitz! was the same: the brittle electronic direction the band opted for eloquently complimented songs about fame and solitude, as ‘Heads Will Roll’ and ‘Dull Life’ demonstrate. This trio of albums each presented a heady combination of bat-shit craziness, cool and ingenuity that served a clear direction, and they’re classic records because of that.

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