I've decided to reevaluate and write a second review on Yeasayer's fifth and final studio album, Erotic Reruns. Since its initial release back in 2019, my overall viewpoint and perspective have changed since and I'd like to share how I feel about it now.
At the header of this review, you might be wondering if I accidentally added an extra re to the word review. You might also be wondering why I'm writing about an album from 2019, let alone writing about it a second time. You may have already read my initial review on this album, Erotic Reruns back in 2019. I'll just say it was not positive; so not so that it's arguably one of my most negative reviews I've ever written in this blog's seven year history. And it's from Yeasayer, a band I truly adore! First things first, I wanted to re-review this album for several months now because my overall viewpoint and perspective on Yeasayer's fifth and final album have notably changed drastically since its initial release back during the Summer of 2019. Reviewing it back in 2019, I don't think I had the most positive outlook on the Brooklyn trio's drastic change in sound. To quote from my review, I thought there was "nothing memorable, nothing interesting" about it and "it sounds like the band has run out of creative ideas." I was pretty harsh on this record but that was legitimately how I felt at the time. The band's drastic shift towards its simple and straightforward approach to pop music while also toning down their experimentation of unique sounds left me quite disappointed and kind of betrayed from the band's expected quality within their discography.
What's noticeably forced me to reevaluate Erotic Reruns without question is the group's decision to break up and call it quits in December of 2019, just a few months after the album's release. That was two years ago already and it marked the first time in my life that a band's breakup has actually impacted me and sparked an emotional reaction from me due to how much their music has meant to me for almost a decade. Shortly after the one year anniversary of the band's breakup I decided to revisit their entire discography earlier last year, including their fifth and now final studio album. I gave Erotic Reruns many listens this time, a lot more than when it initially came out. As a result these nine songs grew on me and I began to really enjoy them and let them sink in. Like most albums and fine wine, they get better with time and that is certainly the case here. I don't think I listened to it enough in 2019 and was seeing the band's themes and styles simply just on the surface. If there's one rule I recommend following on albums it would be this: repeated listens will solidify your opinion on an album no matter what, whether it be negative or positive. Once I got past my previous gripes with this album the songwriting, hooks, harmonies, grooves, and performances all showed up suddenly like a colorful rainbow peering out of the clouds.
The band's simplistic approach to creating catchy 60's influenced pop music with a bouncy, light, and carefree sound is something that I really enjoy and appreciate now. The songs are delightfully catchy and addictive and begs for repeated listens. The super fast 30-minute runtime was something I despised initially. Yeah, I still wish it was ten or eleven songs instead of nine but it's not an issue to me anymore. It just makes me want to immediately hit repeat and that's not necessarily a bad thing. It sounds like Yeasayer have hit the reset button, wiped the slate clean and started from scratch. The band have always shared their love of The Beatles throughout their albums and it sounds even more obvious of an influence here. They do a lot with very little; it's the cleanest, most approachable, and least cluttered Yeasayer record to date. If there was an album that would be the easiest introduction to the band it would be this one. Yeasayer have traded most of the experimentation and weirdness for the quick and concise songwriting and hooks. Despite the happy and bright instrumentation, this album is arguably the band's most political and dark record in their career due to themes of the aftermath of the 2016 presidential election. It's kind of a shrouded mask of what's actually underneath which is a unique layer that I appreciate now after further listening. It's also nice seeing that unlike their previous releases, this album is entirely self-produced and self-released by the band themselves, so there's a bit of a more personal touch here.
To delve into the songs themselves I think the majority of them are really fun, summery, and infectiously catchy. The vocals and the chorus on "Crack a Smile" are charming and reminiscent of some of the big hits from the 60's and 70's. "Ecstatic Baby," now my personal favorite on the album, has become one of my favorite Yeasayer songs. It sounds like a colorful bouncy castle bouncing happily in a vibrant rainbow filled cotton candy clouded sky. It has the best grooves on the entire album and Ira Wolf Tuton's bass-line is absolutely incredible. Tuton always kills it but this is seriously one of the best bass-lines I've heard from recent memory. The charisma and vibe on the track is absolutely infectious. The sweetly sung "Let Me Listen in on You" is a fantastic ballad with an explosive finish. I like the slick "Ohm Death" quite a bit even though it's the album's least fulfilling moment. I love the shouty vocals, driving pace, and passion from "24-Hour Hateful Live!" The instrumental is incredible and the unique grooves and horns are a nice added flavor within the track listing. "Fluttering in the Floodlights" is still a great closer and is one of Yeasayer's most cleanly produced and radio-ready pop tracks to date.
I didn't appreciate the band trimming everything down to the bare basics until recently and I'm glad I do now. Sure, I still think Erotic Reruns is the band's weakest album out of their entire discography but it's certainly not as mediocre as I thought it was; it's actually pretty great. That feeling of not being able to find a missing piece isn't there anymore. At my time of recollection, I finally felt affirmed that Yeasayer did end on a good note. I wish them all the best and hope for more projects from the members whether it be solo or with another group. By the way, I am very excited for Anand Wilder's solo album coming soon and I'll probably give it a review soon after it comes out in late March. All in all, my thoughts have changed for the better with Erotic Reruns. I really enjoy this album, I am glad I revisited it and shared my new thoughts on it. Yeasayer is one of my favorite bands growing up and they still are today. All five of their albums are strong and stand on separate pedestals; each one is completely different and unique from the next. Knowing that they've broken up is still a huge bummer but knowing that they ended with such a fun finish is a really great feeling.
My New Rating: 8 / 10
Favorite Songs: "Ecstatic Baby," "Crack a Smile," "24-Hour Hateful Live!," "Let Me Listen in on You," "Fluttering in the Floodlights"
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