Yeasayer

As its über catchy lead single suggests, Yeasayer’s Odd Blood is all about twisting our perceptions. Here, overproduction is a blessing instead of a curse thanks to synths, electronic noises, and drum-machine syncopations that drive the songs rather than color them. The bouncy “Ambling Alp” and hip-hop/African drum combo of “O.N.E.” are Blood’s undeniable shining stars, thanks to their near-perfect mix of avant-pop quirk and ’80s throwback dance beats. Elsewhere on the record, frontman Chris Keating flexes his vocal muscles via vocoder (“Love Me Girl”), does his best Stray Cat strut (“Rome”), and even channels Dave Gahan over a sweeping electro orchestra (“I Remember”). The result is a party-ready disk that makes up in style what it may lack in cohesion, and a testament to Yeasayer’s ever-fluid approach to song crafting.