Customer Reviews

Fever to Tell

5 star:		(99)
4 star:		(70)
3 star:		(32)
2 star:		(21)
1 star:		(25)

 

 

Fever To Tell successfully follows through and expands on the promise of the YYY's first 2 EPs. From the first notes of Rich you are already hooked. The best way I could describe it would be like this: think of the Stooges with impecible pop smarts, fronted by the illegimate daughter of Siouxsie Sioux, Lene Lovich, Nina Hagen, Joan Jett and Joyce De Witt. This is just guitar-drums-voice, but NOTHING like the White Stripes (who I like for different reasons). The depth of the sound on songs like Y Control is just incredible considering.

Karen O's voice is in top form. She displays an impressive range on the stunning, majestic, beautiful
"Maps". This song, along with "No, No, No", and "Y Control" aptly show the future promise of this band. "No, No, No" is my favorite, with it's simmering vocal and slowly built up verses that explode in an impressive 1970-Black-Sabbath-via Siouxsie-and-the-Banshees kind of way. God, I hope that makes sense. The song concludes with a trippy 2 minute long dub that is just SO pretty.

"Rich" and "Y Control" both feature amazing treated guitar lines that sound like synths. Very Missing Persons sounding. Magical pop songs that get stuck in your head immediately.

Music for a twisted Beach Party...

"Date With The Night", "Man", "Tick", "Black Tongue", "Pin", and "Cold Light" rock seriously hard. Just try not to dance during any of these. I totally dig the almost surf rock and fantastic chorus of "Black Tongue". The choo-choo train that is "Tick"! The infectious ness of "Pin". The incest anthem "Cold Night" has that "Beat on the Brat" guitar thing going on after 1:15 or so. There's subtle tempo changes and hooks everywhere. This is what pop music should be like.

There's even an AMAZING Velvet Underground pastiche called "Poor Song" that is hidden after "Modern Romance".

Whats refreshing about this band is they are not being postmodern or ironic. I saw them live in LA 2 weeks ago, Karen couldn't stop smiling. They actually love what they are doing and you can tell they had fun making this album. You'll have even more fun listening to it. I haven't been this addicted to an album in years. BUY THIS!

I first heard the Yeah Yeah Yeahs when they performed "Y-Control" on Conan O' Brien. Initially, I was blown away by the guitarist, Nick Zinner. But what kept me hooked was Karen O's stage presence. I downloaded the song the next day and played it repeatedly. From there, I read a few reviews of the album and downloaded the song "Maps," which seems to be the critical favorite. I found myself equally impressed. Before actually purchasing the album, I tested out one more song and downloaded the current single, "Date with the Night." From there I knew I had to take the plunge and buy the album. And I must say, I'm very happy I did.

The first thing that impressed me with Fever to Tell was Karen's vocals. A combination of PJ Harvey's range and tonal quality with Bjork's vocal abandon. Her voice warbles, shrieks, and screams through tracks like "Rich," "Date with the Night," and especially "Tick" with an amazing elasticity.

Musically, the album also kept me quite entertained. The sheer energy and fun-loving spirit of the album is enough to perk up even the most depressive music lover. The instrumentation is largely just guitar and drums (provided by Brian Chase), but it sounds remarkably full even without the aid of a bassist. Most of the beats have a cheerful march quality to them and the guitar wails as it's pumped through 2 amps. "Pin" would be my choice for the most musically infectious track on the album.

But where the album falters is in the land of lyrics. There are some genuine gems: "Maps," "Y-Control," "Modern Romance," and the bonus track. Basically, the end of the album is where are the good lyrics are stored. It's also where Karen tones down the vocals and the sweet side of her voice gets a chance to shine. But the majority of the tracks have very sparse, one-track lyrics. If you approach the first portion of the album as a feel-good rocker, you won't be disappointed -- the opening tracks will have you bounding across the room. But if it's lyrical depth you're looking for, you're going to be using the Skip button a lot.

The album is also a little short. Most of the tracks don't get beyond the 2:40 mark. But given the fact that their lyrics are more than a little repetative (Karen seems to have a definite habit of choosing a word from each lyric and repeating it over and over again), this may not be such a bad thing.

Yeah Yeah Yeahs have a lot of potential in all the areas of music: vocals, music, performance, and (when they want to) lyrics. I'm really interested in seeing where they take things on their second album. Fever to Tell is most certainly worth a listen and, if you like what you hear, a purchase.

4.75 stars--not perfect, but almost

Well, YYY's new album _Show Your Bones_ will be out before you know it, so let's revisit from whence this band has come. When _Fever to Tell_ came out three years back, there was a considerable hype to back them up. For once in punk rock, it was justified. While _Fever to Tell_ does not quite have the distilled intensity of their self-titled EP, it comes close, throwing in a relatively smooth ballad, _Maps_, to really complicate our understanding of what this band is about.

From what I can tell, they are all about transgressing limits. I am eager to see where they take this ethic on _Show Your Bones_, because few bands have been as good at this in the new millennium, punk or otherwise. The French call the orgasmic feeling that comes from going past boundaries jouissance. Another term they have for orgasm is _le petit mort_, or the little death. Karen O liberally scatters these little deaths all over every record they have made to date. Nick Zinner and Brian Chase, on guitar and drums, respectively, have the perfect approach to backing this up, always straddling the line between fine musicianship and reckless abandon. To see this in the flesh at a live show comes highly recommended. They are perhaps the most exciting "punk" band I have ever seen. Karen O looks like she is going to explode into a supernova at any moment while Nick Zinner cuts a Nick Cave-like profile as he handles all the musical notes the band makes with admirable aplomb.

"Cold Light," for example: "We can do it to each other/ Just like a sister and a brother." Ooohhh. She transgresses the incest taboo. Unlike what some may think, there is more to what she is doing than mere shock value. Like the best art, they transgress limits to make us question our values, in this case the bases upon which we form our love relationships. I'm pretty sure Karen O is not advocating incest, just shaking our cages for the next time we choose to "do it to each other," both sexually and with psychic violence. This is really a philosophical band (that rocks you out of your mind, infinitizes you, Emmanuel Levinas would say).

Next, "No No No": lets concentrate on the music here. Jack White doesn't have anything on Nick Zinner as far as being a one-man guitar armada goes. He handles the low-end and the high-end all at once in many songs. This one starts out slow, a prohibition against a girlfriend who is about to go and do something that she will regret. The music is subdued. Then the guitar and drums get almost sloppy with fuzz, feedback, and flailing. This is an old, old punk technique, but one that YYY's excel at. The musicians' transgression of technique make us feel that the subject of Karen's prohibitions is about to spin herself into danger if she doesn't heed her "no." All we can say is "yes."

"Maps": The transgression here might be harder to spot than in other songs. It's the most conventional thing the YYY's have ever done. "Wait, they don't love you like I love you." Here they are crossing the line in the sand that punkers of the generations before have drawn: NO SONGS ABOUT GENUINE LOVE. Well, Karen O has a fever to tell and since it has to do with her experience of love, in large part, why would she not witness? Punk's near-demise in the last decade or so has a lot to do with relying on the old formulae that the Sex Pistols "set up" for us. Punk's only chance of surviving is constantly transgressing its own aesthetic. YYY's have this down pat.

"Y Control" might be the most exciting song on this album. When I saw this one live, Nick Zinner had all his pedals going at once looking like a goth dervish as he hopped between positions to Karen's _ecriture feminine_ dervish. Again, this raises a major philosophical question: Why should we try to control anything, music or otherwise? Going by the intense polarization that the YYY's cause, it is clear that many people prefer their music controlled, dwelling neatly in totalized little boxes, even in a so-called transgressive form such as punk. Well, if that is what "punk" is, the YYY's tell us, you can have it. No limits. No prescriptions. No taboos. All jouissance, right in the same vein of other rockers who have lasted because they dared to defy: Patti Smith, VDGG, the Clash, the Pistols, Nirvana, P.J. Harvey, and so on in a list of illustriously self-destructive names. The clincher is that this is more than just mindless nihilism: it is transgression that makes a theoretical difference, a change in the way we see and feel things. Few artists have done this in any manner that approaches _Fever to Tell_ since its release. If the YYY's cross new borders with the same cavalier mania on _Show Your Bones_, they will certainly cement their place amongst the rock artists who are truly unforgettable while also showing the ablitity to exhibit enduring genius.

is that so many of the people who have this album have now been purchasing it because they saw it cheap at Target or because they saw the video for "Maps" on MTV or because they want some new "punk" cd to add to their collection or sadly enough because they have preconceived notions that every band with a female singer sounds alike. Criticisms are fine, but please give us some well-informed ones rather than "hey, if you like punk, you should really listen to the Distillers instead." Yeah, because this is not punk. It never claimed to be as far as I knew. Also, let's refrain from "the bass and guitars don't sound that good." Yes, possibly because there is no bass and possibly because you're so used to that rhythmic power chord progression that every "punk" band uses and find the guitar playing here a little less traditional in that sense. It's a great album that I would agree for some might be a little off-putting. Karen O's vocals sometimes border on the strange. For me, that's a plus. But it's definitely understandable to listen to something like "Tick" and want to laugh if you're expecting something more straight-forward. Another justifiable criticism of the band is the lyrical content. There's not much to the lyrics, but for me it's not a barrier because even if there are only a few lines of real lyrics in the entire song, the sound of the songs mixed with Karen O's vocals and the sparse lyrical content all equal the general mood and feeling that the album evokes so easily. If you're uncertain or you're planning to buy this because you think it sounds like something else you've witnessed, don't. Go to www.yeahyeahyeahs.com and use the player and see what you think. If you hate it, come back here and give an informed criticism, and it will be much appreciated by actual consumers.

I can't address the frequently voiced notion that "Fever To Tell" doesn't compare to the Yeah Yeah Yeahs' live shows, as I've never had the opportunity to see them live. But I can say this is the best rock album I've heard in years, light years ahead of the White Stripes, the Strokes, and all the other similarly inclined bands that have received the same level of hype. It may not be as raw as their debut EP, but it's infinitely more energetic and aggressive than most of what passes for rock from the major labels these days. (This is likely because the band recorded the album before they signed to Interscope; and while Alan Moulder is credited with mixing duties, he doesn't appear to have smoothed out any of the rough edges, thank God.)

Much of the album's success comes down to Karen O, easily the greatest rock singer to appear since Sleater-Kinney's Corin Tucker. Her full range of ecstatic shrieks, scarifying growls (the noises she makes in "Rich" almost make the EP's "Art Star" look restrained), and orgasmic moans is on full display here, often within the range of a single song. And since many of these tracks are in the two-to-three-minute range, that's quite an accomplishment. She doesn't just do over-the-top ferocity, either: the last three songs, uncharacteristically slow and reflective, find her singing with great subtlety and emotion.

It's those last three tracks (plus the stark hidden track) that really vault "Fever To Tell" into the realm of greatness. The rest of the album is wonderful, full of Nick Zimmer's inventive guitar playing and all sorts of askew arrangements (check out the warped organ noises on "Man"), but too much of this sort of full-on assault could grow tiresome. The final songs, especially the exquisitely beautiful "Maps", prove the Yeah Yeah Yeahs have greater depth than most of their contemporaries. If they can create songs this powerful on their first album, imagine how great they'll be a few years down the road.

I was surprised to hear such an amazing song playing on MTV. When I first heard Maps I was addicted and had to get this album. Alot of reviewers have said that the single gives a false insight to the rest of the album which is mostly gritty garage rock but this is a true marvel. Althought, it lacks that finishing touch that the White Stripes have today but still this is a solid collection of real punk rock. Karen O's voice is made for punk rock as she growls, purrs, screeches, and softly pours her heart out into every song. The drummer, Brian Chase, creates thumps and trash can like sounds forming into a great backround beat while Nick Zinner adds the zest with his guitar playing, contributing to Karen O's amazing vocals. I do agree with some people that the lyrics do lack substance but most songs are decently written in a punk sort of manner.
Highlights on this album are "No,No,No", "Maps", "Y Control", and "Modern Romance" which all happen to be the last set of songs on the album. Others include "Date with the Night" where she uses her fierce vocals to purr and scream 'Chow' as the unlikely chorus of the song. Another song that is a solid attempt is "Tick" where Karen O opens up her vocals into small 'Ticks' which nearly runs her out of breath a couple of times. "Modern Romance" is an excellent A+ song with Nick and Brian taking a soft turn in their playing and lowering it down to a great beat with Karen desperatly singing about the troubles of a romance. In my opinion "Maps" is the most full out song on the album featuring Karen O's lush vocals accompained by ruff guitar playing by Nick and garage sounding drum thumps.
Overall this is a very solid attempt at an album and the Yeah Yeah Yeahs succeed with great effort.

IT is odd how strangely addicting this album is. I think it's because the originality flows from this thing like a fountain. The addicting voice, the clear, heavy guitars. It sounds pure, if you know what i mean, and it makes for one of the most original albums to hit stores in quite awhile. I would like to commend the Yeah's for making such an inspiring album. So much rage and defining moments are in this album, yet it's all formed together to make a fantastic release. It's not the longest album in the world, but it's long enough. When it's over it feels right. It's a wholesome release.

I was a bit hesitant about investigating YYY, but for once the trashy tabloids like NME heap their praise on a deserving band. Not to say that "Fever to Tell" is perfect, but it's a damn compelling mish-mash of new wave, blues-tinged punk and noisy pop. And then there's Karen O. I guess your enjoyment of the album may depend a lot on just how much of her squealing, screeching, howling, wailing, warbling, yelping, moaning, etc. you can take in a long run. Personally I find her a hugely entertaining vocalist, who sounds even better once she tones down her rock star persona on songs like "Maps" and "Modern Romance", which display a more soulful, sensitive side to her singing. It's mostly for the presence of these last four mature songs that I look forward to what YYY will do next.

I think if anyone can't find this album fun and hilarious then they must not have a heartbeat. The pace of this album jumps all over and the sound consists of yelping and screechs over pulsing drum beats and throbbing guitar strings. The first track is called "Rich" and just like must punk/art rock albums the music and singing is settle until it picks up the pace onto a moderate speed. The second track is "Date With The Night" which many people have probably heard of before but didn't know it was by Yeah Yeah Yeahs. I mainly heard it in the background of MTV reality shows because they didn't have the guts to play the video not unless it was the performance video for the love ballad "Maps." "Man" is a track in which the lyrics shouldn't be taken seriously but are quite funny especially since Karen O croons and moans that "I got a man that makes me want to kill." The next track is a timebomb waiting to explode entitled "Tick" I immediately fell in love with this song because of the driving guitar and thumping drum beat. Also the volume of Karen O's voice climbs higher and higher with each "tick." "Black Tongue" delivers a knockout punch with lyrics like "Boy you just a stupid bitch and girl who just a no good dick." After a first listen of that song I could not stop laughing. "Pin" is a song about conflicted feelings about why she is sleeping with a guy and there is nothing more to the relationship. "Cold Light" is a nasty little number where Karen O croons "We can do it to each other we are like a sister and a brother go go go go go." "No No No" starts off with a marching band drum beat followed by a delicate guitar sound in which Karen O repeats over and over again "I told her, I told her, No No No." I really don't need to explain "Maps" instead it was played all over the radio and on television. "Y Control" is about a controlling lover in which Karen O pleads "I wish I could buy back the woman you stole." The last track is really a great ending to the album entitled "Modern Romance." It is another ballad which is great if not even better than "Maps." The lyrics are "There is no and this is no modern romance."

There's not a lot left for me to say about this band that hasn't already been covered in the previous reviews.

Just don't buy this album because you heard "Maps" on the radio, because that song does not at all represent the rest of the songs on the album. Just go download that particular song.

If you are into a melange of indie/emo/hardcore or what my brother calls "college music", then you'd should definitley check them out.

Someone called The YYYs "a fad", but I wouldn't catagorize them with all those other bands that wear streamlined, monochrome suits. They have had a strong fan base here in New York for a few years. I know this band isn't going to make it any bigger than already have... most of their songs are not very radio friendly.

Buy this album if you like to drive fast, yell (not sing) along to songs and/or want a female fronted po-mo version of The Clash or if you enjoy the rock stylings of Sleater-Kinney (not because they could both dismissed as "riot grrl" solely on the fact that they both contain girls that rock hard, but because they are both decent bands that offer you something different.)

But to everyone: if you aren't sure about an album, listen to the samples first.