Fever To Tell [15th Anniversary Deluxe Edition]

by Yeah Yeah Yeahs

Overview

On their EPs, the Yeah Yeah Yeahs grew considerably, moving from the arty yet anthemic garage punk of their self-titled EP to Machine's angular urgency. Fever to Tell, their first full-length and major-label debut, also shows growth, but for the first time the band doesn't sound completely in control of the proceedings. Their EPs were masterful studies in contrast and economy, balancing just the right amounts of noise, melody, chaos, and structure within 15 to 20 minutes. At 37 minutes long, Fever to Tell sounds, at different times, scattered and monotonous. Most of this is due to poor sequencing -- the album opens with some of the raunchiest noise the Yeah Yeah Yeahs have ever recorded, then abruptly changes gears and delivers a kitchen sink's worth of pretty ballads and experimental pieces. Both the old and new sides of the band's sound offer brilliant and frustrating moments: "Rich" is a sneering sugar-mommy story; "Black Tongue," which features the great lyric "let's do this like a prison break," is almost Hasil Adkins-esque in its screwed-up sexuality and rockabilly licks. "Date with the Night," a rattling, screeching joy ride of a song, combines Karen O's unearthly vocals, Nick Zinner's ever-expanding guitar prowess, and Brian Chase's powerful drumming in dynamic ways. Not so good are the insanely noisy "Man" and "Tick," which have enough volume and attitude to make the Kills and Jon Spencer turn pale, but also sound like they're coasting on those qualities. The moody, romantic songs on Fever to Tell are the most genuine. "Pin" and "Y Control" have a bittersweet bounciness, while the unabashedly gorgeous, sentimental "Maps" is not only among the band's finest work but one of the best indie/punk love songs in a long, long time. Along with "Modern Romance," a pretty but vaguely sinister meditation on the lack thereof, these songs compensate for some of Fever to Tell's missteps (such as "No No No," a lengthy, halting mishmash of punk and dubby experimentalism). Perhaps they should've included some of their tried-and-tested songs from their EPs, but for a group this mercurial, that would probably be stagnation. Though this is their debut album, Fever to Tell almost feels like a transitional release; they're already rethinking their sound in radical ways. Even when they're uneven, the Yeah Yeah Yeahs are still an exciting band. ~ Heather Phares

Product Details

Release Date:	10/20/2017
Label:	Interscope / Polydor
UPC:	0602557902327
Rank:	12179

Tracks

1. Rich
2. Date With the Night
3. Man
4. Tick
5. Black Tongue
6. Pin
7. Cold Light
8. No No No
9. Maps
10. Y Control
11. Modern Romance/Poor Song

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Yeah Yeah Yeahs   Primary Artist
Nick Zinner   Guitar,Drum Machine
Karen O   Vocals
Brian Chase   Drums

Technical Credits

Chris Coady   Post Production
Chris Moore   Post Production
Nick Zinner   Composer,Mixing Engineer
Brian Chase   Composer
Yeah Yeah Yeahs   Composer,Producer
David Andrew Sitek   Mixing,Producer,Mixing Engineer
Howie Weinberg   Mastering
Alan Moulder   Mixing,Mixing Engineer
Ric Levy   Mixing Assistant
Roger Lian   Editing
Rick Levy   Assistant
Cody Critcheloe   Artwork
Karen Orzolek   Composer
Nicholas Zinner   Composer