Clap Your Hands Say Yeah - Some Loud Thunder

Imagine you are a devoted Clap Your Hands Say Yeah fan. You were at the forefront of their internet explosion, you have attended at least five of their concerts, you've heralded the band as the forerunners of DIY ethic and you wear artsy T-shirts of theirs at least twice a month. Now, imagine you have just purchased Some Loud Thunder, Clap Your Hand Say Yeah's sophomore album, and you put it in your CD player with eager anticipation.

What greets your ears is not the sultry sounds of CYHSY's signature Talking Heads-style indie pop. Rather, the first track is a shitty-sounding rock song reminiscent of an early Neutral Milk Hotel recording ripped from a damaged cassette tape. Of course, CYHSY has always had a penchant for alienating listeners from the get-go – see the inane opening track, "Clap Your Hands!," from their last album for evidence. But that song was truly amusing, a carnival-style romp intended to remind the listener that music is not all seriousness, it's also fun.

This time around, the opening track is grating and obnoxious – it never really gets off the ground, and will likely force many to peel off their headphones with a pained grimace. Furthermore, the next two songs do little to clean out these damaged ears. They are little more than mediocre pieces in the general vein of their original style.

The excellent fourth track, "Love Song No. 7," begins a series of redeeming tunes. It showcases a new direction for the band, where noodling guitars are exchanged for a sultry piano line and a haunting string section. The melancholy sound may be unfamiliar to listeners, but it's a highly successful experiment and it signals a welcome shift in the quality of the album.

Following on the heels of "Love Song No. 7" is "Satan Said Dance," CYHSY's foray into indie dance. Another brilliant modification of the band's traditional sound, "Satan Said Dance" showcases a penchant for schizophrenic electronic music and driving bass. "How did I arrive at a place like this?" intones front man Alec Ounsworth, something listeners may be wondering as well by this point.


Clap Your Hands Say Yeah - "Satan Said Dance"
From here on out, the record offers a fair share of rewarding moments in between its duller pieces. "Goodbye to the Mother and the Cover" is a pleasantly melancholy composition driven along by both a resigned bass guitar and a hopeful xylophone. Later on, the neurotic vocals and irresistible chorus of "Yankee Go Home" practically force one to learn the lyrics and sing along. The closer, "Five Easy Pieces," offers a satisfyingly exultant end to the record.

There are certainly problems with Some Loud Thunder. It's inconsistent, it stumbles, it strains. But even if it doesn't trump the band's debut, Some Loud Thunder is something of a comfort. It offers listeners several gems, and shows off a band with real talent and an eagerness to experiment with new sounds. Really, that's all we could ask for, right?

Originally published for the Cavalier Daily:
http://www.cavalierdaily.com/news/2007/feb/08/still-clap-your-hands-but-no-standing-ovations-thi/