spotlight! i’ll show you my bone
The Yeah Yeah Yeahs
Show Your Bones
(Interscope, 2006)
By Megan Carneal
mcarneal@mscd.edu

   The Yeah Yeah Yeahs second full-length release, Show Your Bones, could have been stripped down to bare bones, removing all instrumentation except the vocals and it would still be an amazing album.

   The vocals are complex and passionate, but there is an underlying sense of comfort in lead vocalist Karen O’s voice throughout Show Your Bones. At times it sounds like she is holding back tears as her voice waivers and cracks during admissions of heartbreak and guilt. The tone of the vocals changes from one track to the next while still keeping her scratchy, vibrato style. In “Way Out,” she sounds slightly childish and defiant, but in “The Sweets,” O’s voice is filled with a pain-inflicted wisdom. Even the style of genres changes in her multi-faceted voice.

   “Mysteries,” has a minor country twang to it, while “Phenomena,” is a booty-shakin’, bass-thumpin’ dance track.

   The percussion and guitar are mostly subdued with simple beats and chords harmonizing with the vocals. Although the vocals are remarkable, it is disappointing to not hear anything from the other two Yeahs, because, given a chance, their instrumentation can take the vocals to a higher level.

   The only song the percussion and guitar carries is “Fancy.” This track has a strong industrial attitude that could not have been achieved by the overdriven vocals alone. The slow, but elaborate drumming, fast, urgent bass lines and eerie riffs are what really give this track its strength.

   “ The Sweets,” is by far the most heartbreaking song on an entire album driven by depression and regret. As such it should come with a warning that listeners should avoid this track if they have any of the following: a history of mental illness, a recent break-up, or a sensitive disposition. The lyrics chronicle the tragic post-breakup questioning of what if, what could have been and what now. The song is simple and understated until the finale, when everything is turned up and electrified as if the singer has turned her depression into anger.

   This album showcases what a singer with sincere lyrics and a bipolar range of emotions can really do. The percussion and guitar should have been played up more, but it creates a simplistic honesty in the album, which can only be created by a straightforward, back-to-basics approach.