Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Mosquito
Despite its horrendous album art, Mosquito is a better album than their previous effort It’s Blitz
Indie rock is definitely alive and well in 2013. We’ve heard from rockers The Strokes with their comeback album Comedown Machine, in all it’s glimmering 80′s rock glory, now it’s time for fellow New Yorkers, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, to have a spell. Mosquito is the title of choice for their new album and after 13 years, much to the delight of many hipsters everywhere, the Yeah Yeah Yeahs prove they’ve still got that edge.
As Mosquito pumps from your speakers, hypnotic locomotive loops, crazy jungle beats, whirring guitar riffs and retro drum machines fill up your head space. From synth patches to gospel choirs, the Yeah Yeah Yeahs give it everything they’ve got. This album has a plethora of unique and unforgettable sounds that demonstrates how the Yeah Yeah Yeahs have perfected the art of creative versatility. Post punk, indie rock with a touch of synth-pop and gospel. Perfected yet still raw, bizarre and completely in your face. From the epic opening track "Sacrilege" to its closer "Wedding Song", Mosquito is the Yeah Yeah Yeahs at their finest.
In the creepy title track "Mosquito" lead Karen O buzzes in your ears furiously after singing “it’ll drink your blood” while songs like “Always” and “Subway” are awash with reverb, revealing their softer, slightly psychedelic side; dark as it is uplifting. And it wouldn’t sound like the Yeah Yeah Yeahs without some post punk. There are some righteous moments of pure, unrelenting garage rock in Mosquito; guitar riffs thick with distortion and thundering drums blast from the monitors, unexpected but undeniably welcome.
Despite its horrendous album art, Mosquito is a better album than their previous effort It’s Blitz, just much more consistent. Karen O and co are very excited about this LP, and so they should be. It’s easily one of the best albums of 2013 so far.
(Interscope Records)