That's How It Sounded In Their Beginnings

 

The new century was barely two years old when a band emerged from the United States that took garage rock to a whole new level. With Karen O., they had a wild front woman whose vocals, in the broadest sense, were reminiscent of PJ Harvey, but who could also strike a softer note. Nick Zinner contributes impressive guitar passages to the songs, which, taken as a whole, no longer have much in common with the punk attitude of the debut EP. The fact that YYYs manages without a bass is thanks to Brian Chase’s accentuated drums. 

In addition to the upbeat tracks like “Rich” and “Man,” it’s the longer songs that really stand out—thanks to Karen’s voice and the breaks and tempo changes that would suit Sonic Youth just fine. The fact that they pay homage to their roots at the end makes them all the more endearing. “Modern Romance” could easily be an outtake from Velvet’s debut album.

Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Maps

Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Y Control

Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Pin

Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Modern Romance