Yeasayer – All Hour Cymbals

• 2nd Nov 2007

All this racing indie and bleeding heart emo leaves a hole for some much needed shoegazing and reflective full bodied empiricism. Brooklyn’s Yeasayer throw the likes of Mum, Bjork, Grandaddy, The Rapture and Four Tet into a melting pot and then stick it in an industrial fridge for contrast. Epic tune-writing draws emotion out more dramatically and effectively than most modern films. Tone mixing clatter and ambient backing vocals add a contrast to the uplifting lyrical push of ‘Sunrise’, as the lyrics are delivered with Anthony & The Johnsons’ styled, eloquent quaintness by Anand Wilder.

Digital dabbling stomps over a cushy folk base to be topped off with joyous handclapping, giving ‘Wait For The Summer’ oomph and pounce, rubbing against the bleeding hearted subject matter and desperate vocal delivery. The latter element leaps up from a fuzzy spring for ‘2080’, similar to that which Tunng have used to swooning effect in the past, but is delivered with a more topsy-turvy wobble, merging the boundaries between shouting and singing. However, calming soulful backing is used to keep the polished push going at the same time.

For a quartet, the accompaniments are extremely broad and well orchestrated in the sense that they change tempo to match the mood without losing impetus, seemingly leaving few instruments untouched. A gospel touch filters through the likes of ‘Ah. Weir’, adding a touch of The Polyphonic Spree inspired euphoria, pitching it at more of an ambient level. As the album builds so does the theatrical nature of the material reaching a nadir through, ‘No Need To Worry’ and the eerie, soul trickling ‘Forgiveness’. Lyrically the band seem a little subdued, often hiding them behind strands of cosmopolitan instrumental foraging, but through ‘Worms’ they seem to hit a defiant philosophical groove;

“The things I should have known, I’ll find my way around.”

Yeasayer use expansive, shuddering music to search for and communicate simple solutions and life views. They are a band who needs to be bold in their choice of venue in order to fully capture their searching and mood implanting, instrumental poise in a live setting. Venues like churches are the key and the result will lead them to discover many worshippers.

Catch Yeasayer live;

November 7th, 2007 at Barfly in Brighton, UK
November 8th, 2007 at Tuned at Rock City in Nottingham, UK
November 9th, 2007 at Barfly (Xposure Night) in London, UK
November 10th, 2007 at The Hub (NME Night) in Exeter, UK
November 11th, 2007 at SWN Fest at Buffalo Bar in Cardiff, WALES
November 12th, 2007 at Barfly in Liverpool, UK
November 13th at Jabez Clegg in Manchester, UK
November 14th at The Hive in Edinburgh, SCOTLAND
November 15th at Cockpit in Leeds, UK
November 16th at Bar Academy in Bristol, UK
November 18th at Bar Academy in Birmingham, UK
November 19th Rough Trade In Store, London, UK
November 21st at Charlatan in Gent, BELGIUM
November 22nd at Paradiso in Amsterdam, NETHERLANDS
November 23rd at Crossing Border Fest @ Koninklijke Schouwburg in The Hague