Yeah Yeah Yeahs

Those disappointed by Nick Zinner's reined in guitar lines on 2006's Show Your Bones will be equally frustrated by Yeah Yeah Yeahs' latest, It's Blitz. Where the guitar, drum and vocal sound still dominated Bones, many of It's Blitz's tracks see Zinner dump the instrument all together in favour of keyboards and synthesizers. But the Brooklyn trio's insistence on zigging when we all want them to zag is what's kept them from falling prey to the indie hype machine. Of course, writing killer songs always helps, and It's Blitz has them in spades. The opening two tracks, "Zero" and "Heads Will Roll," easily fit in with the band's best work. And as always, Karen O's voice is the band's through line - album to album, songs to song, O never fails to give an impassioned performance. Even at her most vulnerable her voice is a powerful instrument that conveys a multitude of emotions.