Metascore
84

Universal acclaim - based on 28 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 26 out of 28
  2. Negative: 0 out of 28
  1. 100
    CYHSY is at the best point in the lifecycle of a band: un-styled, simply produced and deserving of the hype for what is -- quite possibly -- a nearly perfect album.
  2. What sticks out right off is a drive that can't be taught or approximated.
  3. The record is consistently, remarkably strong.
  4. An album which will force even the most hardened listeners to throw in the towel.
  5. Clap Your Hands Say Yeah gets my pick for summertime album of the year.
  6. Total immersion in the passion of Clap Your Hands Say Yeah reveals the true power of music as a means of artistic expression.
  7. When they began their self-titled debut, they were uncertain kids from Brooklyn making a record from all the music they had ever known. They’re leaving veterans of the game with obvious talent and colossal potential.
  8. I can tell that you are dubious, but I can assure you, gentle listener – these are the goods.
  9. This is a very, very good record.
  10. Clap Your Hands Say Yeah is worthy of the attention, as it reveals a band of great ability and confidence brimming with ideas.
  11. CYHSY’s songs ring of The Bends-era songwriting, but loungier, more playful, more comfortable in their own skin.
  12. If there are complaints to lobby against this remarkable debut, they lie mostly in its sound-quality. Namely, it sounds like what it was: self-recorded and self-released.
  13. Blender
    80
    A giddy funhouse of a record. [Oct 2005, p.136]
  14. Under The Radar
    80
    [An] exceptional debut. [#11, p.109]
  15. By turns goofy, intellectual, and non-sequitur lyrics are indecipherable without the lyric sheet, but the strangely alluring charm of songs like "The Skin of My Country Yellow Teeth" will have you clamoring for more.
  16. For a debut album, this is remarkable stuff and hints at even better things to come.
  17. So once you get behind the relatively unobstructive and emotive voice, what you have is the sound of NYC circa '77 pushed through the ramshackle indie filter.
  18. Q Magazine
    80
    An unpolished gem. [Feb 2006, p.104]
  19. Mojo
    80
    Ounsworth's slurred vocals are a dealbreaker. [Feb 2006, p.92]
  20. [Ounsworth's] weird quirks do grow on you, especially because the music backing him is so solid most of the time.
  21. A whatever-sticks debut with meritorious replay value.
  22. While all of this is promising, and illustrates that Clap Your Hands Say Yeah likely has a very bright career ahead of them, they're only just getting started.
  23. Uncut
    70
    It's the vocals that will seal this deal for you--or break it. [Feb 2006, p.79]
  24. Poppy, '80s-tinged, and hooky as hell, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah's debut certainly makes for pleasant listening.
  25. New Musical Express (NME)
    70
    A veritable swoon of a record. [7 Jan 2006, p.28]
  26. All the essential elements of greatness are here in some small form or other, but Clap Your Hands Say Yeah’s time is not now.
  27. Sadly, [Ounsworth's] lyrics are a letdown.... When the tunes are this good, it certainly feels like a wasted opportunity.
User Score
8.5

Universal acclaim- based on 350 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Negative: 25 out of 350
  1. PatK.
    Aug 30, 2008
    10
    Peter W You have no heart or soul... his voice is perfect for this music/album. This CD is AMAZING.
  2. Nov 24, 2022
    7
    The sonic forefather of later more ambitious and dynamic band's (see:carseatheadrest). This debut is a confident blast of optimism! Helmed byThe sonic forefather of later more ambitious and dynamic band's (see:carseatheadrest). This debut is a confident blast of optimism! Helmed by the typical "bad" north-western male vocalist this band with an awful band name leave it all on the 12 songs going in intresting albeit familiar direction. Favourites:over&over again, let the cool goddess rust away,sunshine &clouds Full Review »
  3. Aug 14, 2015
    10
    It's like a homeless ballet dancer, incredibly precise and elegant with the appearance of nonchalance and filth. Somebody give this man aIt's like a homeless ballet dancer, incredibly precise and elegant with the appearance of nonchalance and filth. Somebody give this man a dollar, he deserves it. (Or give him some salt) Full Review »