Clap Your Hands Say Yeah

Clap Your Hands Say Yeah - 2005

Much like the Arctic Monkeys, the five lads form the Brooklyn based group Clap Your Hands Say Yeah are one of a new breed

of bands born from DIY dedication. They have already sold nearly 40,000 copies of their debut with no record company but have

now signed a contract to Wichita (includes bands like Bright Eyes and Bloc Party).

Opener "Clap Your Hands" may sound like the Doo Dah Band, but bon't be alarmed, because beyond the weird introduction the

album reveals some fine tunes. The intriguing "Let The Cool Goddess Rust Away" resembles the Arcade Fire overhauling

Radiohead's "Stop Whispering", but it's "The Skin Of My Yellow County Teeth" that really stands out from the whole album.

Here, Ounsworth's Kings Of Leon-style yelps are driven by a persistent Postal Service beat while delicate, wilting guitar

lines skip over the top.

Clap Your Hands Say Yeah won't be everyone's favorite. At times, Ounsworth's vocal eccentricity verges on the

incomprehensible, while album-closer "Upon This Tidal Wave Of Young Blood" quickly becomes irksome. That said, you might want

to give it a good listen.