Staff Reviews

Clap Your Hands Say Yeah - Hysterical

Review by Chris Trout

Third albums are traditionally a stick-or-twist moment in an act’s life. Up your game or fuck off time. CYHSY mainstay Alec Ounsworth has obviously taken this on board, and he’s responded to the challenge by writing a bright, pithy record stuffed with delicious tunes, not only in the vocals but both guitars and (particularly) the keyboards, and generally all at the same time.»

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limited cd with two bonus tracks. their first new album in more than three years, 'hysterical' marks a major milestone in the continuing evolution of clap your hands say yeah. born out of an intensely collaborative process in which songs were constructed, dismantled, and then rebuilt anew, the album finds the band at their most confident and creative, expertly expanding upon its already distinctive sound. with its elegant hooks and simmering atmospherics, 'hysterical' widens the band's idiosyncratic formula, incorporating a remarkably expansive tidal wave of sound, all multi-layered keyboard tracks and big, booming drums. imbued with sweeping synthesizers, juddering bass, and all manner of percussive dynamics, songs like 'same mistake,' 'yesterday, never' and the elongated piano-pumping epic, 'adam's plane', are marked by inventive and boldly articulated arrangements that form a veritable vortex of melody and rhythm. having come close to the brink, the extended gestation period that led to the new album sees clap your hands say yeah returning to action with rejuvenated strength and a spirit of true intent. with 'hysterical', clap your hands say yeah have crafted something that feels invigorating and new, no less so than to the band themselves.
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