Yeasayer @ Oran Mor 17/2/10

This show’s upgrading from King Tut’s some months ago, along with selling out of the Oran Mor, came as no surprise, Yeasayer’s experimental pop music has been catching the ears and attention of a wide variety of people. The release of album Odd Blood and particularly lead single “Ambling Alp” has won the band a new wave of crowd members.

The new album, while not receiving the best critical reviews and as a whole remaining a bit ‘hit or miss’, holds some tracks that positively drip with catchy pop goodness. Still, many of the people here tonight are here for reminders of 2007’s brilliant debut All Hour Cymbals, which featured on numerous albums of the decade lists.

Yeasayer as a live band are simply mesmerising, it’s hard to take your eyes off the hive of activity and relentless energy coming from the stage. They pose a striking image too, guitarist Anand Wilder sporting a camouflage boiler suit and bassist Ira Wolf Tuton a tank top stand either side of the stage certainly creating an interesting image. Lead vocalist Chris Keating stands tall in the middle of the waving his free hand frantically like he’s out clubbing attempting to dance while holding a drink.

The crowd really get kicked into the show by second track “Madder Red”, one of the stronger tracks on the new album and one of a number of songs Wilder takes lead vocals on. As they move into “Tightrope”, the outstanding effort contributed to last year’s superbly put together charity double album Dark Was The Night, sees the set hit full flow and there is no looking back.

Moving into the middle part of the set some of the tracks the crowd are here to see filter in, old favourite “Wait For The Summer” and new lead single “Ambling Alps” gets the crowd in full sing-along. At this point a fan joins the band on stage dancing, leaving to Keating asking to the crowd to give a hand for his son from the future.

Upcoming single “O.N.E.” throws a punch before the biggest surprise of the night, the omission of arguably their best song “2080”. For a band only two albums it is a somewhat controversial decision to leave out what is their most popular track, “2080” featured in many songs of the decade lists at the end of last year. Still, the set does not finish in a disappointing fashion the Brooklyn trio’s debut’s opener “Sunrise” provides a more than adequate end to a thoroughly entertaining show leaving the crowd giddy for more.