One of the more hotly anticipated Alternative-Rock records of 2006, the Yeah Yeah Yeah's sophomore full-length Show Your Bones doesn't disappoint, unless you're the kind of person that was hoping to get Fever To Tell all over again. Even before this album came out though, you couldn't ignore the signs that Show Your Bones was going to be something a little different.

Pulling a move that no one could anticipate, Karen O and Co. hired Hip-Hop producer Squeak E. Clean to man the boards on Show Your Bones and bring a fresh perspective to the group. What has transpired is a cleaner, glossier, and not quite as fussy Yeah Yeah Yeahs sound that will surely polarize their core audience of fans. To put it in perspective, think of Fever To Tell as Siouxsie & the Banshees debut The Scream; (you know, since Karen O sounds almost exactly like Siouxsie) an all around rough edges debut, and Show Your Bones as Hyaena, Siouxsie's sixth album that started to show a more rounded and polished but still tough as nails group. The thing is though, the Yeah Yeah Yeahs are maturing at a much faster rate than Siouxsie did and some fans are gonna love it, and some are gonna drag their feet. I for one couldn't be happier with the progression.
The biggest change is Nick Zinner's addition of acoustic guitars to just about everything; none better than first single "Gold Lion," a dead ringer for Love & Rockets "No New Tale To Tell" if there ever was one. The pulsating follow-up track "Way Out" is also just as incredible, showing Karen O has grown as a vocalist. But don't worry fans of the old dark and disturbing ways, you haven't been forgotten. "Fancy" sounds like a song that would love to kick Fever To Tell's "Maps'" ass in a nasty dark alleyway with it's distorted lyric "I find it in an atlas, or flip it over old news."

"Phenomena" also has that darkened edge, even though the chorus feels like a straight lift from A Tribe Called Quest, influenced by Squeak E. Clean I'm sure. The track "Dudley" also feels like musical thievery, but the song in question is oddly enough the old lullaby "Hush Little Baby." Just try and listen to that song and not think of it, I dare ya. Older fans I'm sure will also find happiness with "Cheated Hearts," a song that feels very reminiscent of Fever To Tell's "Y Control." The only moment where Show Your Bones fails to impress is near the tail end. "Warrior" and "The Sweets" are anything but sweet with their bland, demo-ish like feel. But Show Your Bones as a whole is an incredibly impressive follow-up to an almost perfect debut, and it's nice to see that under close scrutiny, this talented trio can still deliver the goods.