Yeah Yeah Yeah's - Fever to Tell Review

For the past few months I've been on a Yeah Yeah Yeahs music listening binge. It has gotten so bad that they've practically had exclusive rights to my stereo and Ipod. I figured that maybe after three months I would have been so sick of their debut album Fever to Tell I would have burned it along with other spirit of the moment albums. For better or worse, that has not been the case. There songs play through my head from the moment I wake up to the time I fall asleep. Considering things have gotten so bad, I only sit it fit to write a review for their debut album Fever to Tell.

It is garage rock at its finest. It is in your face, brash, unpolished, and has more energy than a bar room brawl. The music centers around the vocals of Karen-O who sounds like Patti Smith after a few hits of crack. She manages to make the music sexually charged with her moaning and groaning along with lyrics that will make your mother blush. While many bands will sacrifice edginess for melody, the Yeah Yeah Yeahs are able to write songs that are memorable. Songs like "No No No" and "Pin" hit heavy with all of their beautiful chaos and at the same time retain a strong melody. The Yeah Yeah Yeah's also show potential of being an accessible band to modern radio listeners with songs like "Maps" which has an infectious drum line and bittersweet lyrics, and "Y Control" which has a great bouncing rhythm and an extremely strong chorus.

The Yeah Yeah Yeahs nail the seemingly difficult task of meshing edginess with a melody, and it pays off. Far too many bands miss the boat when trying to go for one or the other, however, the Yeah Yeah Yeahs have it down to a science. Fever to Tell is an unforgettable garage rock classic, thanks in part to Karen-O's manic presence and the bands stellar song writing.

Grade: A