After releasing the blistering Fever to Tell, the tightly crafted Show Your Bones, and the chic, shimmering It’s Blitz!, Yeah Yeah Yeahs are back with their fourth studio album. As a whole, the album looks back over the last decade of their work as well as music in general to deliver a record that pays homage to the band they were and draws from a variety of musical inspirations. Mosquito is replete with interesting features such as gospel choirs, found sound, and guest work by the likes of James Murphy and Dr. Octagon.
Opening the album, “Sacrilege” is one of the strongest songs on Mosquito, showing off Karen O’s airy falsetto and gritty screams in a jazzy track that builds to cathartic heights as a gospel choir carries it out with handclaps and a chanted refrain. “Subway” follows, emerging as another highlight, featuring the sound sample of a passing subway train over a meandering and quiet ode to New York. “Mosquito” aims for the punk rock rawness of Fever to Tell and doesn’t quite get there, although the track proves that the band still has fight left in them. In fact, their show during SXSW was commanding and raw, one of the best sets of the week. The fourth track, “Under the Earth” marches along with a plodding bass line and vocals that echo out into the darkness. These first four songs offer the strongest samples on the record and also operate cohesively as a first movement.
From here the album moves in disparate directions, floating through tracks “Slave” and “These Paths” before the completely shocking pair of songs, “Area 52” and “Buried Alive.” The former of that pair explores tongue-in-cheek rock about aliens while the latter features a guest rap verse from Kooth Keith persona Dr. Octagon. None of these match the opening four, and as much as I tried, I can’t sell myself on the hip-hop fusion. Yeah Yeah Yeahs have too much interesting ground to cover on their own to include these kinds of collaborations.
“Always” marks a turn in the right direction, and “Despair” breathes new life back into the album with a slow-burning pseudo-optimistic track that champions the joy in letting go. Contrary to many reviews likening closer “Wedding Song” to early Yeah Yeah Yeahs song “Maps,” I see “Despair” filling that role with climbing notes and bombastic tom work. “Wedding Song,” with lush keys, heartthrob percussion, and beautiful lyrics is outstanding but far too gorgeous and direct to match the desperation and raw power of “Maps.” The song could certainly represent a logical conclusion to the yearning of “Maps.” While the “Wait!” of “Maps” felt a little out of place at a wedding, I’m betting this track makes brides’ playlists en masse this year and forevermore.
Although Mosquito doesn’t tap into the unfettered ferociousness of Fever to Tell, it does offer some dynamic and convincing tracks. It seems that the band found themselves atop the world after three legendary albums and almost didn’t know where to go from there. With no one to impress and nothing to prove, they just had fun—this is clear all the way down to the insane and garish cover art. What’s impressive is that this bewildered, unfocused, aging version of Yeah Yeah Yeahs can still deliver an album that warrants repeat listens. Mosquito won’t replace any of the other YYYs albums in your rotation, but it’s still strong work from one of rock’s most consistent bands.
