Clap Your Hands Conservatively

Clap Your Hands Say Yeah has created quite a buzz in the independent music scene. Indeed, their debut album Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, has received a lot of press, especially from Internet blogs, such as Pitchfork. Thus helping establish them a solid fan base, and a name alongside The Arcade Fire in the independent pop scene. They are currently on tour with friends and fellow indie-pop favorites, Architecture in Helsinki, as well as Takka Takka.

Last Monday night I saw their first of two shows at The Vic Theater. Unfortunately, the opener, Takka Takka, was less than uninspiring. It sounded as if the band had listened to Elvis Costello’s debut album, My Aim Is True, and decided to write some songs. The consequence is a collection of generic, short songs, with unmemorable –or memorable only insofar as they were frequently off key – vocals, and a lack of stage presence. They sounded tight, but sorely lacked a unique sound, and a talented singer. Their only saving grace was that John Paul Jones, the bassist (hmm...), is endearingly goofy, and fun to watch.

Architecture in Helsinki, by contrast, stole the show. Although I mostly liked their sophomore album Fingers Crossed, and their latest, In Case We Die, as well, I’m not a huge Architecture fan. That being said, they did put on a damn good live show. I found it slightly lacking in variation, but it was solid nonetheless. They played very little from the two albums I am most familiar with, and instead played a bundle of new material, most of which was quite dancey. It seems as though everybody is jumping on this bandwagon, but few pull it off; Architecture in Helsinki comes close.

Clap Your Hands Say Yeah did not exactly disappoint. However, they were somewhat of an anti climax after Architecture’s set. The only noteworthy remarks I can make are that they rocked a lot harder than I expected, and performed some of their new material. But with the exception of one, the newer songs sounded as if they were b-sides from their debut album that were understandably cut from the release. Highlights include Alec Ounsworth (singer/songwriter), coming on stage with a loudspeaker, through which he sang, with the band’s accompaniment, the quirky opening track off their self-titled album.

I’d recommend “The Owls Go” by Architecture in Helsinki, off of their album Fingers Crossed, and “The Details of the War” by Clap Yours Hands Say Yeah, off of their only album.