Review of Yeasayer - Odd Blood

I have been listening to "Ambling Alp" probably for the past 2 weeks on repeat. But I haven't had the time to actually pick up the album. So I finally got the album and I simply had no idea what to expect. Yeasayer's All Hours Cymbal was an major part of my life as a sophomore (2007-2008) in college. It represented all the things that I loved at the time which was mostly music and partying. It beautiful and crazy which represented the chaos that was my life at the time. It was pure fun and yet at the same time a certain sadness which can be heard through out the lyrics of that album. So with that in mind, I didn't know what current Yeasayer would mean to me in this present time of my life. Would it still be the craziness that I knew it as 2 years ago? Would I be utterly disappointed that the music lacked the nostalgia it held for me so long ago or would I be disappointed in the lack of development the musicians have?

So I put on Odd Blood before I got ready for whatever I had to do that morning. The album started with "Ambling Alp" which I thought could not get any better than that song. As I continued to listen to the album, I noticed that their music was a lot more "chill" or "calmer." The tribal driven beats were not as prominent although the bass drum seems to be more thought out in placement than usual. The electronic synths were the focus of their songs as well as the lyrics. Before, lyrics seems to be part of the music sound and usually incomprehensible. The lyrics of this album are more reflective and discuss the issues of growing older and apart. So like Yeasayer, I seem to have grown up with them. The sounds of their music seem now to morph into something like Hot Chip and Peter, Bjorn and John which is great because I love both of
those bands.

Everything seems to sound like a cirque du soleil soundtrack on this album.

Madder Red - Chinese Acrobat Theme Song
O.N.E - Knifeish


So I mean to say that my love for Yeasayer is a personal matter and that what you take from it may be completely different from mine. If you were searching to hear music that Yeasayer "used" to make than this album may not for you. There is no doubt that they are great musicians and you should enjoy their music for what you can and not necessarily what they mean to others, but yourself.

Triumph

"Now, the world can be an unfair place at times
But your lows will have their complement of highs
And if anyone should cheat you, take advantage of, or beat you
Raise your head and wear your wounds with pride"

- Yeasayer "Ambling Alp"

To go away and not look back and think of what the others say
To go ahead and change your life without regard to what is said
And everyone must do the same
you find yourself lost again
forget the things you've left behind
through looking back you may go blind

- Atlas Sound feat. Noah Lennox "Walkabout"

Robot/ Bug Dreams.

I had a dream that the world was taken over by robots and bugs. I was hanging off a cliff trying to reach the top because the skyscrapers had become so big that you could never see the sun. So I was trying to see the sun by climbing the cliff. I was hanging on the cliff for dear life and was about to fall until I was saved by a flying roomba and it took me to a bug basketball game. Since I was actually allowed in this robot/ bug world, I had to hide under the bleachers. The game was disgusting. So I was able to escape the game without being noticed and found my friend Elizabeth. She had to buy a new dress so we jumped in to her red car and went to Walmart. Since we weren't allowed to exist, Wal-mart was really dark and everyone was really quiet. So there were a couple of other humans shopping in the dark Walmart as Elizabeth and I looked for a dress for her. I was really scared because I thought the bugs would find us out and I kept looking to the car to run away.

This is where I woke up.

Resolutions/ Goals of 2010

Ten Goals for 2010

1. Wear all of my dresses that I have no yet worn by May.
2. Lose 10 lbs (via running 3 days a week)
3. Eat healthier (one fresh fruit and veggie a day)
4. Get out of America
5. Read at least one book a month for leisure
6. Give up pop (SERIOUSLY)
7. Read the news more often
8. Learn how to cook or bake from scratch
9. Do yoga at least once a week
10. Work on personality (see below)

Personality Goals
1. Be less stubborn
2. Be less proud
3. Be more confidant
4. Stop over analyzing things
5. Let things go/ don't dwell

Top Albums of 2009

1. Animal Collective - Merriweather Post Pavillion
2. Kid Cudi - Man on the Moon: The End of the Day
3. Local Natives - Gorilla Manor
4. Grizzly Bear - Veckatimist
5. Dirty Projectors - Bitte Orca
6. St. Vincent - Actor
7. N.A.S.A. - The Spirit of Apollo
8. Matt & Kim - Grand
9. Lady Gaga - The Fame Monster (Deluxe)
10. Phoenix - Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix

Honorable Mentions:
Antony and the Johnsons - The Crying Light
Peter, Bjorn, & John - Living Thing
Beirut - The March of the Zapotec/ Real People Holland
Anjulie - Anjulie