Yeah Yeah Yeahs, 'It's Blitz!'

More synths but no major changes for New York’s arty dance-punk trio

By Andy Hermann

Metromix

The buzz: With an explosively charismatic frontwoman and a sound that deftly straddles the line between NYC’s disco-punk (think the Rapture) and art-rock (think TV on the Radio) scenes, the Yeah Yeah Yeahs are one of the new millennium’s most intriguing bands, even if their material hasn’t always quite lived up to their potential. This, their third studio album, was rush-released digitally after it leaked online; the physical CD finally arrives in stores this week.

The verdict: Yes, “It’s Blitz!” features more synths than previous YYYs releases, but in most other respects, it’s pretty typical of the band’s output. There are a handful of standout singles—particularly the opening one-two punch of “Zero” and “Heads Will Roll”—an affecting comedown (the haunting closer “Little Shadow”) and any number of tracks that don’t really go anywhere, but will probably sound a lot better in concert with the visual accompaniment of a writhing Karen O. The album’s most welcome surprise is “Dragon Queen,” a spacey piece of menacing funk featuring members of TV on the Radio that sounds, well, like a great TV on the Radio track. If the Yeah Yeah Yeahs still haven’t quite achieved that band’s level of awesomeness, “It’s Blitz!” is another step in the right direction.

Did you know? If this whole indie rock icon thing doesn’t work out, Karen O already has a backup career: video director. She and her boyfriend, Barnaby Clay, directed the latest video by New York tween-punks Tiny Masters of Today, and she’s also shot music videos for Liars, Foetus and the Yeah Yeah Yeahs themselves.