On the Brooklyn trio's fifth album, Yeasayer decide to go for the short and sweet route with 30 minutes of straightforward indie pop. The results make it a half baked, bland, and very disappointing release that lacks what makes the group so captivating and interesting.
Yeasayer, the Brooklyn trio, have always been an intriguing group. Whether you enjoyed their albums or not, they've always shifted in style and sound with often surprising results that end up being in internet blog conversations. All Hour Cymbals is tribal psychedelia, Odd Blood is virtually futuristic indie dance and pop, Fragrant World is lo-fi, organically dark electronica, Amen & Goodbye is a political tribute to 60's pop. Each record is different from the next, some panning out more than others. For the most part, their discography was one that's quite rewarding and worth returning to. The highs on Odd Blood and Fragrant World are incredible and enthralling, some of the best songs from this past decade, like "O.N.E." and "Longevity."
With Erotic Reruns, their fifth studio album, I literally get none of this. Nothing memorable, nothing interesting. It sounds like the band has run out of creative ideas. It's very uninspired indie pop, scraping at the bottom of the barrel that was once overflowing with ideas a decade ago. The well is just about dried up. The album is a total of 30 minutes, too; the band do not stay for long and quickly go in and out with these songs. They're to the point, short and sweet. As an avid Yeasayer fan myself, this is the definition of a letdown. I know I'm saying all this negativity, but overall, the music itself and the production isn't bad at all. I've just heard this sound before from so many other artists. The "la la la's" on "People I Loved" are questionably pristine along with its sunny harmonies. "Let Me Listen in On You" is a lackluster ballad that mopes along at a molasses pace. "Ecstatic Baby" is very carefree, has some quirky swinging electronics and a croon that reminds me of the 80's. "Crack a Smile" is almost too sunny and happy, border-lining into parody territory. Some of the tracks that are the best are actually enjoyable for the most part, such as "24-Hour Hateful Live!" and the closer, "Fluttering in the Floodlights." The two are the brighter spots on the record and actually brings some energy to the record.
"Fluttering in the Floodlights," the album's best track and lead single, unfortunately shows up too late in the track listing to make up for the album. I'm not sure what happened here, in terms of the purpose of this record. The music itself is fine and dandy, it will fix your indie pop need if necessary. But there's obviously something missing on this album compared to other releases. The songs aren't as imaginative and as memorable as Odd Blood, Fragrant World, or even Amen & Goodbye. Unfortunately, Erotic Reruns has more misses than hits for me.
My Rating: 5 / 10
Favorite Songs: "Fluttering in the Floodlights," "I'll Kiss You Tonight," "24-Hour Hateful Live!"
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