- Record Label: [self-released]
- Release Date: Jun 28, 2005
- Critic score
- Publication
- By date
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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.
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What sticks out right off is a drive that can't be taught or approximated.
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The record is consistently, remarkably strong.
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An album which will force even the most hardened listeners to throw in the towel.
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Clap Your Hands Say Yeah gets my pick for summertime album of the year.
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Total immersion in the passion of Clap Your Hands Say Yeah reveals the true power of music as a means of artistic expression.
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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.
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I can tell that you are dubious, but I can assure you, gentle listener – these are the goods.
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This is a very, very good record.
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Clap Your Hands Say Yeah is worthy of the attention, as it reveals a band of great ability and confidence brimming with ideas.
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CYHSY’s songs ring of The Bends-era songwriting, but loungier, more playful, more comfortable in their own skin.
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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.
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A set of really great songs.
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BlenderA giddy funhouse of a record. [Oct 2005, p.136]
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Under The Radar[An] exceptional debut. [#11, p.109]
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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.
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For a debut album, this is remarkable stuff and hints at even better things to come.
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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.
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Q MagazineAn unpolished gem. [Feb 2006, p.104]
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MojoOunsworth's slurred vocals are a dealbreaker. [Feb 2006, p.92]
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[Ounsworth's] weird quirks do grow on you, especially because the music backing him is so solid most of the time.
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A whatever-sticks debut with meritorious replay value.
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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.
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UncutIt's the vocals that will seal this deal for you--or break it. [Feb 2006, p.79]
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Poppy, '80s-tinged, and hooky as hell, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah's debut certainly makes for pleasant listening.
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New Musical Express (NME)A veritable swoon of a record. [7 Jan 2006, p.28]
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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.
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Sadly, [Ounsworth's] lyrics are a letdown.... When the tunes are this good, it certainly feels like a wasted opportunity.
Awards & Rankings
User score distribution:
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Positive: 298 out of 350
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Mixed: 27 out of 350
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Negative: 25 out of 350
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PatK.Aug 30, 2008Peter W You have no heart or soul... his voice is perfect for this music/album. This CD is AMAZING.
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Nov 24, 2022
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Aug 14, 2015