New Music Reviews - 9/20/2011 - Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, Lotus, and Gavin DeGraw

Clap Your Hands Say Yeah Hysterical - The indie rock quintet from Brooklyn, NY release their third studio album.  After rumors persisted earlier this year that the band had broken up, I'm happy to report that they are still together and are producing new albums.  This album actually came out last week in Europe, the UK, and Japan but it drops this week in the U.S.

The album opens with the long-ago released first single, "Same Mistake," which features the killer hook and fun, indie style we've come to expect from the band in a song that instantly sweeps you along.  Next up is "Hysterical" which sounds like the band trying to cover a The Killers song but without the energy or vocal power that Brandon Flowers brings to that band's music.  "Maniac" is very entertaining song with the strong lyrical wordplay that was more prevalent on their past releases.  "In a Motel" is calming ballad with a haunting melody that is a joy to listen to. 

Ultimately, the album starts off with a bang but it fails to keep up that momentum for the duration of the release.  The disc isn't horrible by any means but the band has lost some of the quirkiness that helped set it apart from the other numerous indie acts and instead give us a more melancholy, Keane-like release.  There's little doubt that this is the band least original release sounding very much at times like the two bands referenced above, The Killers and Keane.  While that may not be a bad thing for a new band, for CYHSY it seems like a step backwards given the amount of originality and caprice they expressed on their first two albums. 

Score:  6.5/10
Song(s) to Sample:  "Same Mistake" and "In a Motel"

 Lotus Lotus - Lotus is a four-person electronic jam band that formed over a decade ago at Goshen College in Indiana.  Although I'm only familiar with one of their previous four albums, I do know the band is known for using extensive and complex lighting arrangements to enhance their live performances.  The music is lush, synthesizer and dub heavy, with the occasional horn or string getting the spotlight over their more basic guitar/bass/drum instrumentation.  Vocals are kept to a minimum, mainly consisting of spoken word samples or simple raps, with only one song actually featuring singing.  The buoyant electronic melodies are very infectious and you don't miss the lack of singing at all.  The tracks that integrate their horn section have a funkier feel and remind me of Marden Hill at their best with a little bit of Zero 7 thrown in.   Lotus' self-titled release is a pleasant surprise and a great album to trumpet in the start of the fall music season.

Score: 9/10
Song(s) to Sample: "Golden Ghost" [sample it below], "Bush Pilot", and "Harps"

Gavin DeGraw Sweeter - The pop singer/songwriter from the Catskills resort area of New York releases his fourth studio album.  The first thing you notice about this release is that it has a more lively feel than his last album, 2009's Free.  However his range is still not as great as some of his contemporaries in this genre which means many tracks come off sounding like a poor man's John Mayer or Andy Stochansky.  The one exception is the fun and well structured "Radiation" where DeGraw's vocals really come to life in a more soulful manner although the hook of the song could have been catchier.  Overall, it's a melancholy and below-average release that, although it generally features a livelier tempo than his last album, never really comes to life.

Score: 5/10
Song(s) to Sample: "Radiation" [sample it below]