Clap Your Hands Say Yeah - Self Titled (2005)

Clap Your Hands Say Yeah have been one of the most talked about bands in music circles this year, having sold almost thirty thousand copies of this, their first album, without any record company assistance, or for that matter, any marketing or advertising. There’s has been a word-of-mouth phenomenon that began in their hometown of Brooklyn, New York, spread like wildfire across the USA, and has now reached as far afield as Australia and the UK. An awesome achievement for any band. Obviously, it was not long before the hype train was fully fired up, and with hype, comes a great deal of scepticism. Is the music any good? In our humble opinion, yes it is. Think of a half-way point between Talking Heads and New Order, with vocals that at times sound like David Byrne (who has championed the band), at others like a cat being strangled (but in a good way). It will probably be the vocals that will divide people, as the music itself is extremely catchy and very likeable. The Skin Of My Yellow Country Teeth, which has been receiving rather extensive air time both here and abroad, is one of the stand out tracks of 2005. Other noteworthy tracks on the album include Details Of The War, and the album’s closer, Upon This Tidal Wave Of Young Blood. With somewhat ambiguous lyrics, I am still yet to decipher what it is that lead singer, Alec Ounsworth, is singing about, but for the most part, it doesn’t seem to matter. Along with the guitars, drums and warm washes of synthesizer, his voice at times seems to simply be another instrument, as opposed to being the main focus of the song. Clap Your Hands Say Yeah have one of the coolest names in music at the moment, and with their infectious pop melodies and unique vocal stylings, have one of the coolest releases of 2005.

Check out: www.myspace.com/clapyourhandssayyeah