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Ultimately, Fever to Tell might be slightly disappointing, but it delivers slightly more than an EP's worth of good to great songs, proving that even when they're uneven, the Yeah Yeah Yeahs are still an exciting band.
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The problem here is that, while the guys are definitely on here, they're still nowhere near groundbreaking, and as a result, they rise and fall depending largely on Karen's delivery.
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UncutFever To Tell is, quite simply, magnificent.... This is as revitalising a debut as could be hoped for. [May 2003, p.92]
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Like their fellow New York area bands The Strokes and The Walkmen, The Yeah Yeah Yeahs have crafted yet another accomplished first album, but theirs is the best-produced and the most promising of the bunch, and the band shows that they're not only ready to transcend all the hype that's been building up; they've already started.
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MojoThis record is full of surprises, roping in all manner of esoteria for a sweaty, beer-splattered and tune-drenched rock'n'roll party that rivals even Nevermind for balancing the pop sugar with the twisted underbelly and subtle smarts. [May 2003, p.90]
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Q MagazineAn impressive pop artefact, propelling its creators clear of the current garage-rock morass.... It's the sound, if not the smell, of teen spirit. [May 2003, p.111]
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As debut albums go, it's terrific.
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Now they just rock out, stripping New Wave and metal and rockabilly down to primal thrust and blare. There are half a dozen songs under three minutes on Fever to Tell, and they sound absolutely complete.
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While not quite the epochal showing demanded by its creation, the album holds out an impressive range with a few different directions to follow.
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Combine the intense vocals and thin lyrics with the speed and exuberance of the songs (most are well under three minutes) and ''Fever to Tell'' feels a lot like a series of quickies -- exhausting, fun, but a bit empty.
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Occasionally, it feels like there’s a manipulation going on somewhere, a cloud of hype that obscures both the band’s actual virtues and its shortcomings.
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The WireA set of intelligently performed rock tunes distinguished by Karen O's smart and smarting lyrics. [#232, p.74]
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MagnetCredit sludgemeister Alan Moulder's mixing with fashioning this trio's graceless clamor into a pop blasterpiece (though the high-gloss context occasionally suggests a randier, more cacophonous No Doubt). [#59, p.111]
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Tefloning the lo-fi clang of their 2001, self-titled indie EP breakthrough with Interscope's sugar Daddy Warbucks, Fever to Tell sounds like a tenement rolling, garbage cans bashing some helpless gutter rat.
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BlenderThe songs on Fever to Tell swerve like they're being followed by the police, constantly changing and transforming. [May 2003, p.124]
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FilterThis is a rapturous, badass art-punk record that swaggers with as much heart as it does cockiness. [#5, p.87]
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Be assured, this is a genuinely spectacular album: the most stunning aspect being that there's clearly better to come.
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Capable punk rock with a slightly skuzzy, yet unmistakably pop edge.
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They've got enough going for them that they're likely to remain steadfast favorites of true music fans even after the hype has died down and the scenesters have moved on to something else.
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UrbEasily one of the best albums of 2003. [Jul 2003, p.94]
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It probably won't sway rock and roll, and it most likely won't change your life, but it's a solid disc from a consistent band who haven't let their major-label affiliation change them.
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All bluster and noise and no substance.
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Guitarist Nick Zinner's greatest advantage over his contemporaries is his complete lack of an attention span.
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Fever to Tell... shows that this seeming one-trick pony is capable of more varied and interesting material than its members have previously exhibited.
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O's seductive, cooing/shrieking contributions to the power of the Yeahs are immense, but they are no bigger than those of guitarist Zinner or drummer Chase.
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To care about this band you have to find Karen O's fuck-me persona provocative if not seductive, and since I've never been one for the sex-is-combat thing, I find it silly or obnoxious depending on who's taking it seriously.
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When you’re treated to such a powerful front woman, it seems almost unfair to complain about the lack of sophisticated sonics.
Awards & Rankings
User score distribution:
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Positive: 81 out of 91
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Mixed: 3 out of 91
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Negative: 7 out of 91
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Apr 25, 2012
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Aug 15, 2011
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Oct 8, 2016