On Monday night, odd-job psych-rockers Yeasayer got Manhattan's sold-out Bowery Ballroom bouncing in honor of the release of their sophomore record Odd Blood. The enthusiastic crowd enjoyed the sonic explorations and bigger beats the band chose for their new album and lost their minds during the record's sure-fire hits "O.N.E." and "Ambling Alp," the former of which feels like MGMT at their best.
And that's no coincidence, as the two bands have always shared links. Both released debut records back in October 2007 and brought a ton of attention to the Brooklyn area with their expertly-crafted psych gems. MGMT were just nominated for a Grammy for their effort, but Yeasayer's All Hour Cymbals was more of a critical darling (though it never matching the sales or cultural awareness of their poppier buds) with songs that skewed less poppy and instead more raw and tribal, fusing world sounds with layered harmonies.
The Yeasayer sound isn't too different now in 2010, but Odd Blood will definitely appeal to the more sugar-friendly MGMT fans this time around, especially in the live setting. Set opener "The Children" shone brightest amongst the new material at the Bowery Ballroom, turning the room into a dance party with it's rumbling base and robotic melodies. The synth build-up in "Love Me Girl"' kept that dancier spirit alive later in the set before morphing into a Timberlake-esque funk that had the crowd popping and clicking.
You can find Odd Blood in stores now (and hear snippets and catch a full track-by-track of the album right here). Now let's see how MGMT answer with their follow-up, Congratulations, which is due on April 13.