When New York three piece Yeah Yeah Yeahs first attacked the music scene with the mascara smeared ‘Fever to Tell’ in 2003, the stench of the hype machine hung in the air, classic ‘Maps’ and ‘Y Control’ aside, the rest was a hotchpotch of too cool for art school styling’s with very little substance.

Their second release Show your bones’ was much improved, throwing together Patti Smith in her mid 70s heyday, early PH Harvey, riot grrrrrl anger, glam rock sass and mid 80s bedroom angst. The fury of ‘Deja vu’, the sleaze of ‘Gold Lion’, the overtly funky ‘Phenomenon’ showed a band which whilst not quite at the height of their powers, definitely reaching out towards it.

So onto their third effort; ‘It’s Blitz’, co produced by long term cohort Dave Sitek from TV on the Radio alongside Nick Launay (Arcade Fire). Out go the Banshee wailings to be replaced with a more electronic feel and much more considered than previous effort. The song writing shows a new found sophistication found with the self assurance of a band that are now showing glimpses of being unable to do any wrong.

Album opener ‘Zero’ is almost shocking in how different it is from their past material, slick electro influenced beats and waspish techno percussion with Sitek style synths to die for, it’s as if they decided to stop the coolness and suck a pop cock spitting the results out for all to enjoy.

Nick Zinner hasn’t put down the guitar as has been reported but it’s definitely sidelined for synths and disco beats which despite being a radical change, still sounds very much like Yeah Yeah Yeahs. ‘Heads will roll’ is Blondie modernised by producer Stuart Price with Karen O demanding you to “Dance, dance, dance til you’re dead”, the lovely ‘Soft shock’ wouldn’t be out of place on one of the softer tracks on Goldfrapp’s ‘Supernature’ whilst the dreamy ‘Hysteric’ pushes their acid laced pop one step further into the zone of critical and commercial acclaim and there’s one reason for that; you’ll be hard pushed to hear a better album all year.

9/10

Chris Todd