reax music magazine :: music + culture » Reviews » Yeasayer - All Hour Cymbals

Yeasayer have such an expansive sound that it’s hard to pigeonhole them into a genre. There are elements of world music, folk, rock, and dance, but their first album, All Hour Cymbals, is an amalgamation of these influences, rather than a cheap rip-off. A group dynamic is present throughout the album, particularly in the vocals—often legion, echo-washed, reminiscent of Pink Floyd and Queen. The opening track, “Sunrise” is easily the most accessible song on the album with its catchy drums and imperative refrain. “2080” is a standout track where laid-back yet strangely up-tempo movements set the pace for the vocals to really shine—although the sampling of children at the end of the song is a bit trite.  Perhaps the best song on the album is “Wait For The Wintertime.” The psychedelic, crunchy guitar and eerie keyboard are perfectly balanced with the trippy group chants and wild shamanic calls reminiscent of a wild band of gypsies.  All Hour Cymbals is a worthwhile jaunt into fresh, expanding territory, and I can’t wait to see where they go next. – Christian Crider