There is a very good reason why I didn't buy this months ago when it came out. I used to by a huge fan of two other New York City bands that were part of the "garage revival" the media created: the Strokes and Interpol. Let's follow their careers:
Strokes - Classic debut, decent but unmemorable sophomore release, third album was a disaster.
Interpol - Classic debut, decent but unmemorable sophomore release, third album was a disaster.
Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Classic debut, decent but unmemorable sophomore release, third album ...
...is amazing! The trend is broken! I love being completely wrong.
The Yeah Yeah Yeahs abandoned being a raunchy blues-punk band for doing danceable synth pop. Doesn't that sound horrible on paper? Like me, you will be surprised. In fact, the first two songs ("Zero" and "Heads Will Roll") could show up on rock radio or next to Lil Wayne and Kanye West on hip-hop/club radio, and either one of them could be among the year's best singles. Karen O is an actual singer now with pitch and rhythm; I guess she decided the shrieking and yelling couldn't last forever.
The ballads on It's Blitz are stunning, particularly the driving mid-tempo "Soft Shock", which feels like a cleaned-up improved version of "Maps". The piano lines in "Runaway" keep rhythm until soaring guitar lines come in. Even with keyboards trying to take over, Nick Zinner puts in another outstanding effort on guitar - he's been studying the Edge instead of Jack White this time out.
It's Blitz makes a case for the Yeah Yeah Yeahs being the NYC punk band that are going to stick around for a while. Good, we all need some Karen O in our lives.
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