Yeasayer: Fragrant World

Not content with cut and paste retro-isms like many of their fellow Brooklyn based contemporaries, Baltimore natives Yeasayer look to the future with album number three Fragrant World. Like 2010‘s Odd Blood, this isn’t just a reinvention of their sound, it’s an evolution. This isn’t a band playing frivolous or second guessing hipster trends, rather this is a group on a sonic adventure, boldly heading for the outer limits of electro via their self styled demented RnB.

The album is dark and nocturnal and shot through with shards of neon light by way of wonky pinging synths. Jittery and skittish, with an arsenal of random oddball sounds, it is experimental in nature and embraces the dynamics of dance music but it also retains much of the architecture of pop. There is an airiness to the production which is at times indebted to the minimalism of Prince, but nothing here comes close to pastiche. Conversely there is also a density to some tracks, with certain sounds only revealed with repeated listens.

Lyrically, album opener Fingers Never Bleed criticices those who do not create, while Folk Hero Schtick takes a pop at egomaniacal rockstars. Regan’s Skeleton gets political over a martial disco strut and coupled with Demon Road that follows, makes for some of their best work to date.

The aforementioned Folk Hero Schtick also goes someway to encapsulating the many sounds of Yeasayer. Coming on with a  lo-fi groove and then EQ filter-banging like a flurry of slow motion punches. It’s all dizzying come ups and unexpected break downs.

Dazzling, mercurial, musical whimsy.

The band play Dublin’s Button Factory on Sunday September 30th.

Our first Needle Hits The Groove interview was with Anand Wilder of Yeasayer in 2010. Listen here.