actually hadn’t heard much about Clap Your Hands Say Yeah since the release of their unclassifiable self-titled album in 2005, and I may not be the only one. With its circus-like ambiance and this bizarre almost irritating nasal David-Byrne-inspired voice that ended up being likable in all its weirdness, you could hear them everywhere at the time. I liked their eclectic collection of songs, that toy-keyboard, and the stamping hit ‘The skin of my yellow country Teeth’ with its drunken abandon and cryptic lyrics. But since this out-of-nowhere success, what happened?
The Brooklyn band was playing on the main stage of the Filter’s Culture Collide on Sunday evening, and despite having done two more albums since, they played six songs off their first self-release, out of eleven in total.
Frontman-singer Alec Ounsworth, bent over his guitar most of the time, had these frenetic feverish moves and his voice was may be a tad lower than on the album, but was still bringing its original lamenting signature.
However, their new songs, mostly from their new album ‘ Hysterical’, did not seem to bring this ravishing fresh sound I had found so interesting the first time I heard their songs. ‘Same mistake’ or ‘Maniac’ were not really memorable, ‘Hysterical’, with its ascending development was embracing a conventional approach they seemed to have avoided so much in the past. Sure, none of what they played was boring or uninteresting, but these new numbers were just lacking this out-of-the-box sound with layered weird noises.
‘This is our last song’ Ounsworth said, ‘no joking, I’m always joking’ he continues before playing a few more of their new songs and oldies. And of course, when they played their old ones, this joyous abandon, this feeling about freedom fueled by an anemic energy, were back with long guitar-keyboard jams and that distinctive in-a-hurry rhythm, which had made their eccentric songs familiar and new at the same time.
Setlist
Sunshine and clouds
Same mistake
Satan said dance
Gimme some Salt
Maniac
Statues
In this home on ice
Hysterical
Is this Love?
The skin of my yellow country Teeth
Upon this Tidal wave of young blood