“Cool It Down” Yeah Yeah Yeahs
Alt pop rock. First new album from Karen O. and the band in 9 years. An album filled with big arena-sized anthems, dance-y riffs and lyrics that sometimes examine urgent topics such as climate change (on the opener “Spitting Off The Edge Of The World” — featuring Perfume Genius). A few ballads mixed in. Strong return for the New York-based trio.
— Francis

Recommended: 5, 3, 1, 6, 4. No FCCs detected.

1. (4:18) Spitting Off The Edge Of The World (feat. Perfume Genius) — Soaring anthem. Big, noisy guitars. Moments of stillness when Perfume Genius joins Karen O. with his quavering vocals. Cynical commentary on how humankind is ineffectively dealing with the climate change crisis. ***
2. (5:07) Lovebomb — More laid back and airy. Sweeping synth soundscape over a pulsing bass. Softer, emotive vocals. Spoken at times.
3. (4:13) Wolf — Classic Yeah Yeah Yeahs. Bumping, catchy melody with rising and falling vocals, synth effects and club hooks. ****
4. (3:58) Fleez — Jumping dance punk. Almost spoken vocals at times. Grooving, trip-hop beat. Mesmerizing bass track. Cosmic effects. ***
5. (4:05) Burning — The lead single. After a brief warm-up intro, becomes a powerful anthem with Karen O’s crystal vocals soaring over a piano-driven track. Big drums and fuzzy guitars in the chorus and breaks. ****
6. (4:24) Blacktop — Synth ballad with a persistent, tapping rhythm at its foundation. Karen O’s warm, reassuring vocals float in the ether. ***
7. (4:28) Different Today — Piano ballad. Filtered vocals at the start. Moves into a confident, march-like anthem with flourishes over synth pop arpeggios. Dance-y, but repetitive.
8. (1:56) Mars — Chime-y synths. Stylized, spoken poetry — inspired in part by a conversation that Karen O. had with her son.