Yeasayer
“Odd Blood”
5 Stars out of 5

Within the arms race that is the maddeningly dynamic Brooklyn music scene, 2010’s early leaders are Yeasayer, an oddball quartet who just released their sophomore record on Secretly Canadian Records. Surprisingly enough, “Odd Blood” looks to endure as one of this year’s standout records, regardless of genre.

While “All Hour Cymbals,” Yeasayer’s 2007 debut, worked in stringy, folk-ish stylings, “Odd Blood” embraces a dizzying array of electronics and synthesizer. Building off the musical ambition that flexed its muscles on “Cymbals,” “Odd Blood” flaunts an uncanny knack for wrapping pop songs in offbeat, psychedelic packages.

The charismatic “ONE” pushes the band’s formula close to that of more dance-leaning bands like MGMT and Passion Pit, extending itself to an unexpected fringe of accessibility. The deeply textured, midtempo number “Madder Red” succeeds with a heavy dose of the band’s stellar harmonizing. The single “Ambling Alp” nearly overdoses in electronic beats and blips, yet endures as a curiously upbeat anthem, brandishing the chorus, “You must stick up for yourself son, never mind what anybody else done.” Among the five or six staple tracks on “Old Blood” are several successful intros, interludes and outros, bridging all the madness together and allowing it to coalesce into a cohesive unit.

Key Tracks: “Ambling Alp” and “ONE”
-Chris Payne
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Los Campesinos!
“Romance Is Boring”
3.5 Stars out of 5

Los Campesinos! take the phrase “too many cooks in the kitchen” and turn it on it’s head. With seven members (sometimes eight at live shows), the Campesinos family bring their funny version of punk-influenced indie-pop to the table. For their third release, they’ve teamed up with producer John Goodmanson, whose credentials include things from Sleater-Kinney to Wu-Tang Clan.

The band’s number of members got them criticism for having excessive noise and not enough focus, but the layers of both male and female vocals, horns, pianos and of course your standard bass and guitar flesh their sound out more than ever. “Romance Is Boring” carries a slight Matt & Kim resemblance with synths added to their vast array of instruments.

Their fast-paced tempos are best combined with harmonious “ba-ba’s” and thrashing guitars on “There Are Listed Buildings,” with vocals occasionally in the style of Art Brut, or talk-singing for those not familiar with the silly British band. Los Campesinos! are still known best for sounding like they’re having good old fashioned fun when they’re making and playing music.

Key Tracks: “There Are Listed Buildings” and “Romance Is Boring”
-Melissa Virzi