Yeah Yeah Yeahs - 'Machine' (Polydor)
4/5
By: Thomas Hannan
From the outset, it's clear that New York's latest, coolest exports have moved the goalposts again. Where their self-titled debut EP brimmed with marvellously quirky, screaming racket-pop, the follow up single sees them take the madness they suggested beforehand and live by its twisted standard.
Not a lot about 'Machine' is very friendly. For starters, whatever that thing on the cover is, it's not exactly heavily clad and hardly looks overjoyed to be there. Relevantly, it's not the most accessible piece of music attached to it either, but that's not to say it's brutal - quite the opposite; ever-enigmatic front-woman Karen O actually reveals a fragile quality not hinted at before, but hangs on to that slight eccentricity that makes the Yeahs what they are, namely one of the most exciting new bands in years. This single could either be a cryptic diatribe about man's slump into slaving away at the will of technology, or if narrative is to be taken at face value, the tale of a woman who is mentally controlled by her washing machine - and we're not talking in a comedic way.
When the melody in the chorus rears its head, however, it's brilliantly haunting, proving that simply being leftfield isn't concern they hold higher than knocking out another tasty slice of frenzied pop music. Even when being down-right-weird lyrically, the Manhattan three can still fit a top quality tune amongst the other worldly noise and Mrs O's shouting away like a primal Debbie Harry.
Seeing as prior to this altogether very special outing we've only been treated to five admittedly excellent Yeah Yeah Yeahs compositions, it might seem foolish to proclaim this as a change of direction; after all, we have little by ways of a journey plan to refer back to. But revealing another side to their game is something that should be welcomed with open arms. With 'Machine', the Yeah Yeah Yeahs vary the attack and arrive with something just as likely to trounce all competition in the long run.
Artists in this article: Yeah Yeah Yeahs
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