Review Summary: Heads will sway
What was I expecting from the Yeah Yeah Yeahs after 9 years? An attempt to return to the garage warrior, water mist spitting Karen O of 2003? The disco sheen of the
It's Blitz! era? Or maybe putting
Mosquito back in the oven to see if it emerges smelling of bread and fully formed ideas?
We're getting maturity, and a bit of a look through the memory shoebox. The Yeahs have never sounded as relaxed as they do here. Honestly, the slouchy grandeur of topical opener 'Spitting at the edge of the world' sounds all the world like 'Gold lion' repurposed as a celebratory doomsday message delivered from a litter. There's almost a stately pleasure in describing the impending comeuppance for all guilty parties, with only guest Michael Hadreas (better known as Perfume Genius) representing the fear of the listener. It's a standout opener, and sets up 'Lovebomb' beautifully, with its similarly slow motion atmosphere. The song sounds like some post-war monument, all angled concrete pillars with blades of light between them as you wander below the V-shaped arches. Despite Karen O opining on 2003's
Fever to tell that there's no modern romance, the Yeah Yeah Yeahs certainly make a convincing case for resurrecting it with their glittery sensitivity. Few bands from the garage rock scene handle almost-ballads with such dignity, and that knack is still evident.
The middle stretch of the record is dominated by tracks for the feet, with 'Wolf' doubling down on the 80's influences of
It's Blitz! by way of massive synth, and 'Fleez' directly referencing a great night out at an ESG gig. Both contain little nods to where they are in the world right now - Karen singing she's "lost her taste for hell" after attaining contentment. One song later though, she's happy to roll the dice - in moderation. 'Burning' concludes the run and reminds me of glossed up 'Sacrilege' with strings dialed up to urgent. None of these tracks are bad in the slightest, but I feel like while the openers benefit from the band's new perspective, these seem just one notch shy of previous heights.
'Blacktop' returns to that space of a massive, comforting beat. Karen O sounds like she's fallen backward on a bed after kicking her shoes off, exhausted from a night drive on winding roads. It's absolutely beautiful, with only a subtle kick and a sprinkling of fairy dust at the end to levitate and spin that bed ever so slightly.
The final run of the record is perhaps where the newfound perspective leads to a flatline. The spoken word finale and furniture store floor music of 'Different today' would be where I nip out early at a show to beat the crowds going home.
However, as far as a long hiatus comeback goes,
Cool it down is better than I could have hoped. There are some genuinely great songs here, and the band seems unflustered by expectation - their persona has always been a total absence of self-consciousness, and I am happy to report that it's intact.
