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Show Your Bones

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Untitled

Show Your Bones is the second full-length album by New York indie rock band Yeah Yeah Yeahs. It was released on March 27, 2006 (March 28, 2006 in North America). The album was nominated for a 2007 Grammy Award for "Best Alternative Music Album".[1]

The album debuted at number 11 on the U.S. Billboard 200, with about 56,000 copies sold in its first week.[2]

History

In early 2005, the band decided to scrap all of the songs they had written for the record so far and re-invent their style. Karen O said, "We're not interested in making 'Fever To Tell Part 2'. The pressure is to re-invent ourselves. We don't know how we're going to do it yet but I think it's in our best interests to try and explore other directions." Guitarist Nick Zinner added, "It seems like a necessary step and the obvious thing to do is not repeat what you've played. I was disappointed by a lot of band's second records recently over the past year or two because it sounded like B-sides from the first record."[3]

In an interview with Blender magazine, the band said during the writing and recording that they had almost broken up, calling that time one of their "darkest" moments.

It was originally stated that the album was to be a concept album about the lead singer Karen O's cat entitled Coco Beware, but this turned out to be untrue.[4] The cat does exist, but belongs to a friend of Karen's.

Composition

The album is more subdued in tone from previous records, especially the caustic noise of their self-titled debut EP. Producer Squeak E. Clean adds subtle layers of keyboards, sirens, bells, handclaps; five of the 11 songs utilize acoustic guitar, all prominently.

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic(79/100)[5]
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic[6]
Entertainment WeeklyA−[7]
NME(8/10)[8]
The Observer[9]
Pitchfork Media(6.8/10)[10]
PopMatters(9/10)[11]
Robert Christgau(3-star Honorable Mention)(3-star Honorable Mention)(3-star Honorable Mention)[12]
Rolling Stone[13]
Slant Magazine[14]
Stylus MagazineB+[15]
Uncut[5]
URB[5]

Reviews

The album has been well received by critics, having a weighted average rating of 79/100 (generally favorable reviews), according to Metacritic, based on 35 reviews.[5]

Most reviews were positive: E! Online gave the album an A− and said, "The group cuts through style in pursuit of substance, using Fever to Tell's slow-burning hit 'Maps' as a jump-off point."[5] The Village Voice gave it a positive review and said it wasn't "the Yeahs' Room on Fire. Far from it."[16] Los Angeles Times gave the album three-and-a-half stars out of four and called it "minimalist rock with real feeling and a subversive, epic range."[5] The A.V. Club gave it a B+ and said, "As before, the band's willingness to ground itself in human emotion sets it apart."[17] Playlouder gave it a score of four stars out of five and said: "If 'Fever To Tell' was a scratchy post punk effort, then this is their gothic record."[18] Alternative Press also gave it four stars out of five and called it "the sort of second album that, rather than being a sophomore slump, makes you anxiously wonder what albums three, four and five will sound like."[5] musicOMH likewise gave the album four stars out of five and called it "the sound of a bang irretrievably, irresistibly and deservedly hurtling towards the big time."[19] BBC Collective likewise gave it four stars out of five and simply said: "Short answer: it’s good."[20]

Yahoo! Music UK gave it a score of seven stars out of ten and called it "flawed, but applause for adding vulnerability to [the band's] game plan, at the very least."[21] Under the Radar also gave it seven stars out of ten and called it "a bit top-heavy" but "nonetheless rewarding".[5] Prefix Magazine also gave it a positive review and called it " much more accessible than its predecessor, but there isn't really a 'Maps' to serve as a gateway."[22]

Other reviews are very average or mixed: Blender gave the album a score of three stars out of five and said of the band: "They're after something different here--it's just not as good as what they've left behind."[5] Paste gave it a score of six out of ten and said that it was "replaced by a more temperate jangle".[5] Now gave it three stars out of five and said, "It's time to move some units, so quirky's out and tunefulness is in."[5] Billboard gave it an average review and said that "Much of the material... is more intimate and, at times, tentative."[5] The New York Times also gave it an average review and said it "doesn't confide much, but it's a picture of a band that's not quite sure what to do next."[5] The Guardian gave it two stars out of five and said that "despite finding some hooks worth pilfering, the band are still struggling to raise their game beyond White Stripes-goth-lite."[23] The Austin Chronicle also gave it two stars out of five and said, "Gone is the glitzy art-punk, spastic freak-out, and unfathomable screaming. Here now instead is simple melody, nasal singing, and familiar songs, which begs the question: Y Control?"[24]

Accolades

The album was nominated for a 2007 Grammy Award for "Best Alternative Music Album".[1] In December 2006, the album was named the second best album of the year by NME magazine, as well as "Cheated Hearts" being voted the 10th best song. Rolling Stone magazine named it the 44th best album of 2006, while Spin magazine ranked it number 31 on their 40 best albums of 2006. In 2009, Rhapsody ranked it #10 on the "Alt/Indie's Best Albums of the Decade" list.[25] NME ranked it #32 on their Top 100 Albums of the Decade list.[26]

Track listing

No.TitleLength
1."Gold Lion"3:07
2."Way Out"2:51
3."Fancy"4:24
4."Phenomena"4:10
5."Honeybear"2:25
6."Cheated Hearts"3:58
7."Dudley"3:41
8."Mysteries"2:35
9."The Sweets"3:55
10."Warrior"3:40
11."Turn Into"4:05
UK bonus track
No.TitleLength
12."Déjà Vu"3:23

Personnel

Charts

Chart (2006) Peak
position
US Billboard 200 11
UK Albums Chart 7

References

  1. ^ a b "FOX Facts: Complete List of Grammy Award Nominations". Associated Press. December 7, 2006. Retrieved December 9, 2006.
  2. ^ Katie Hasty, "T.I. Rules as 'King' of Album Chart", Billboard.com, April 5, 2006.
  3. ^ "Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Yeah Yeah Yeahs Scrap Songs For Second Album". contactmusic.com. 23 March 2005. Retrieved 22 November 2010.
  4. ^ Yeah Yeah Yeahs new album details revealed | News | NME.COM
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m "Critic Reviews for Show Your Bones". Metacritic. 2006-03-28. Retrieved 2012-09-08.
  6. ^ Allmusic review
  7. ^ Browne, David (2006-03-31). "Show Your Bones Review". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 2013-05-15. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  8. ^ Sterry, Mike (2006-03-24). "NME Album Reviews - Yeah Yeah Yeahs: Show Your Bones". NME. Retrieved 2012-09-08. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  9. ^ Boden, Sarah (2006-03-19). "Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Show Your Bones". The Guardian. London.
  10. ^ Deusner, Stephen M. (2006-03-26). "Yeah Yeah Yeahs: Show Your Bones". Pitchfork Media. Retrieved 2012-09-08.
  11. ^ O'Neil, Tim (2006-03-27). "Yeah Yeah Yeahs: Show Your Bones". PopMatters. Retrieved 2012-09-08.
  12. ^ Christgau, Robert. "CG: Yeah Yeah Yeahs". RobertChristgau.com. Retrieved 2013-05-15.
  13. ^ Fricke, David (2006-03-20). "Show Your Bones". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2013-05-15. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  14. ^ Keefe, Jonathan (2006-04-06). "Yeah Yeah Yeahs: Show Your Bones". Slant Magazine. Retrieved 2013-05-15. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  15. ^ Timmermann, Josh (2006-03-29). "Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Show Your Bones - Review". Stylus Magazine. Retrieved 2013-05-16. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  16. ^ Catucci, Nick (2006-03-21). "Loving the Skin They're In". The Village Voice. Retrieved 2013-05-16. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  17. ^ Phipps, Keith (2006-04-05). "Yeah Yeah Yeahs: Show Your Bones". The A.V. Club. Retrieved 2013-05-16. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  18. ^ Doran, John (2006-03-28). "Yeah Yeah Yeahs: Show Your Bones (2006) review". Playlouder. Archived from the original on 2006-09-18. Retrieved 2013-05-16. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  19. ^ Murphy, John (2006-03-27). "Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Show Your Bones". musicOMH. Retrieved 2013-05-16.
  20. ^ Cowdery, James (2006-03-23). "Yeah Yeah Yeahs: Show Your Bones". BBC Collective. Retrieved 2013-05-16.
  21. ^ O'Connell, Sharon (2006-03-27). "Yeah Yeah Yeahs: - 'Show Your Bones'". Yahoo! Music UK. Archived from the original on 2006-08-29. Retrieved 2013-05-16. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  22. ^ Sheppard, Justin (2006-03-27). "Album Review: Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Show Your Bones". Prefix Magazine. Retrieved 2013-05-16. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  23. ^ Simpson, Dave (2006-03-23). "Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Show Your Bones". The Guardian. Retrieved 2013-05-16. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  24. ^ Stevens, Darcie (2006-04-14). "Yeah Yeah Yeahs: Show Your Bones (Interscope)". The Austin Chronicle. Retrieved 2013-05-16. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  25. ^ "Alt/Indie’s Best Albums of the Decade" Retrieved 12 January 2010.
  26. ^ "Top 100 Albums of the Decade".
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