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Hysterical Image
Metascore
69

Generally favorable reviews - based on 26 Critic Reviews What's this?

User Score
7.2

Generally favorable reviews- based on 10 Ratings

  • Summary: The third album for the indie rock band was produced by John Congleton.
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  • Record Label: V2 Records / Cooperative
  • Genre(s): Pop/Rock, Alternative/Indie Rock, Alternative Pop/Rock, Indie Rock
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Top Track

Ketamine and Ecstasy
Ketamine and ecstasy Your words are hanging in the trees A whole university just rises Don't ask to sooth me (?) Death and muted Seems that I would... See the rest of the song lyrics
Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 17 out of 26
  2. Negative: 0 out of 26
  1. Sep 26, 2011
    90
    As good a distillation of pop's best qualities as I've heard all year.
  2. Uncut
    Sep 14, 2011
    80
    After a fair-to-middling second album they took a self-imposed break before returning with this excellent effort. [Oct 2011, p.83]
  3. Sep 21, 2011
    78
    It's straightforward, competently balanced, dewily lush art-pop, but it's also a deeply affecting, immersive treat; a fully mature return from a band acting like they have something to prove.
  4. Alternative Press
    Sep 14, 2011
    70
    Even if the energy level flags toward Hysterical's end, it's safe to say welcome back, fellows--all is forgiven. [Oct 2011, p.106]
  5. Nov 3, 2011
    67
    There are shades of the National's late-night moodiness ("Misspent Youth") and the triumph of Broken Social Scene's Forgiveness Rock Record ("Ketamine and Ecstasy").
  6. Sep 15, 2011
    56
    The disappointment is in how it sounds like their years apart have needlessly chastened them into fast-forwarding through the idiosyncratic streak they showed on Some Loud Thunder instead of embracing it, coming out of the wilderness only to end up smack dab in the middle of the road.
  7. Sep 12, 2011
    40
    It has its moments--the title track has a certain chutzpah--but a lack of killer hooks means there's precious little to get excited about here.

See all 26 Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 4 out of 5
  2. Negative: 0 out of 5
  1. Feb 4, 2012
    10
    This band falls its own pretty little niche. If you listen to a lot of indie rock you'll know how they stand out. Their sound is extremelyThis band falls its own pretty little niche. If you listen to a lot of indie rock you'll know how they stand out. Their sound is extremely original and fresh. This album does it for me again. Collapse
  2. Nov 18, 2011
    8
    CYHSY new album has the ability to make you bounce and the melodies are often creepers that remain in your head when you wake up in theCYHSY new album has the ability to make you bounce and the melodies are often creepers that remain in your head when you wake up in the morning. The keyboards bring this melodic genius to the fore and Ounsworth cements it with his own style of vocal lifts and texture. If you like what they've done before then you'll be pleased with Hysterical. There is a consistency to the album that allows you to immerse yourself in the whole album. There are no detracting songs that cause you to click the 'skip' button. The Pitchfork review seems to wish for a measurable evolution to their sound but fail to acknowledge that this album just seems to grab you after a few listens by simply being a well-crafted indy album. Expand
  3. Jan 24, 2012
    7
    It's hard what to make of this band now. A brilliant debut, a horrendous follow up. This is neither brilliant nor horrendous which is theIt's hard what to make of this band now. A brilliant debut, a horrendous follow up. This is neither brilliant nor horrendous which is the problem. At times it's a bit of a nothing album. It has some good tracks and opens very strongly, but there are a lot of slow tracks that you just want to skip over. When it's good it's very good and when it's bad its painful.
    No matter what people say, this has to be compared to their debut, and when you do that it just doesn't stand up overall. Where the vocals used to be quirky, the out of tune style grates on you here. And the classic indie pop tunes that were all over their debut are few and far between here. Essentially it seems they've lost much of their char, and they just aren't the band that wowed me with their debut which is a pity. Having said that it's still decent but life is too short for just "decent".
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  4. Sep 22, 2011
    7
    The beauty of Clap Your Hands Say Yeah was the seemingly random lifts and drops of two fantastic albums, creating melodies that wereThe beauty of Clap Your Hands Say Yeah was the seemingly random lifts and drops of two fantastic albums, creating melodies that were wonderfully unproduced. Maybe it's a taste of irony that the album title doesn't say that about their latest album, which is actually quite pleasing to the ear, but doesn't leave the same taste in your mouth that the previous two albums did.

    This album is good to listen to, but its unfamiliarity shines a light into its shiny coat, which glares at you and makes it somewhat uncomfortable for the rabid fan. I'm sure more listens will calm these nerves, but I hope you know what I mean.
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  5. Sep 29, 2011
    5
    I liked each of the previous albums equally. Similar to how'd I'd like each of the first two Killers albums (prior to Radio & RockbandI liked each of the previous albums equally. Similar to how'd I'd like each of the first two Killers albums (prior to Radio & Rockband overuse). But this album, again, like The Killers third album, I found over-produced and less driven by vocals & lyrics. Not that I'm comparing the two bands to one another, they just happened to both have debut albums released during the same time period and each have 3 studio albums. While these albums might sound swell to an average listener of the radio or even pandora, I'd originally was drawn to CYHSY because of their indy sound, and raw feel. Now I know, that was a while ago, and they've grown. But I just don't dig this sound. Expand