Stuff You Should Be Listening To: "Odd Blood" (Yeasayer)

Yeasayer's Odd Blood may have been released in February, but it could be the soundtrack to your summer. Yes, it is that good. Don't
believe me? More after the jump…



This has kind of been a weird summer for me. I graduated from college
only to find myself stuck in the morass of unemployment and other joys that await the average college graduate. It's been a weird summer for the world as well (take New York City where the weather has been fluctuating like the DOW)…just ask any oil-soaked sea bird and he'll tell you the same.

Maybe that's why I've been listening to more "weird" music. Yeasayer's myspace categorizes them as "alternative/indie/experimental" which this day and age is like saying "music that the kids like." They call themselves "enya with BOUNCE." I don't necessarily agree with that assessment, at least in my professional opinion, but I get what they're driving at. And yes, I just disagreed with the band about their own sound, let's accept it and move on.

Odd Blood has been captivating me this summer, with its distorted instrumentals, dance grooves, surprisingly earnest vocals and overall hazy, smeared watercolor atmosphere. I wouldn't be surprised to learn these guys were continually tripping acid and walking through the woods, or watching the waves from a rocky beach.

I mean, look at the video for "Ambling Alp". Be warned though, while not sexual, it contains nudity, so consider it NSFW.



It's hard for me to pick out a favorite track on this album, though "Ambling Alp" and "I Remember" are standouts. This is the type of album meant to capture a mood – or perhaps a dreamscape – so listening
to only one song would be a loss for the listener. 

If you need an album for muggy summer nights, for friendship and summer adventures, especially the kinds that escalate into the beautifully bizarre, I would recommend Odd Blood.

--
allison levin





Allison Levin is a contributing writer for JezebelMusic and writes the Pretty Little Liars blog for Alloy Entertainment. She graduated from New York University in 2010 with a dual degree in English and Journalism. She spends her free time making strange choices and listening to music.