Review | Yeasayer - Amen & Goodbye

Often, with blog-approved indie pop, there's a barrier for entry. For lack of a better word, some of Yeasayer's earlier albums were... difficult. You had to kind of pay a lot of attention to the music to enjoy the songs, and doing so prevented listeners from losing themselves in them fully.

Amen & Goodbye doesn't have any of those problems. It toes the line between eccentricity and fun with rare grace, and the schizophrenic "I Am Chemistry" is probably the best example of this. The unique synths and soaring vocal harmonies are odd. They are very odd. But there's some sort of Duran Duran-style action going on in the rhythm section that grounds the song and keeps toes tapping even as Yeasayer drops the bottom out and lets a children's choir take over.

Yeah, it's weird. But it works. Amen & Goodbye is as perfect for a rowdy basement party as it is for a contemplative night in. Precious few records have that kind of versatility.