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'Is Is,' err, is an EP that’s a bit of an anomaly, with five tracks written in between the Yeah Yeah Yeahs first two albums, only to finally be recorded and released as a one-off release this year. However, that doesn’t mean the American three-piece have hastily chucked out any old rubbish to pass the time. Instead, they’re released something that captures the essence of the band and is as vital, thrilling and urgent as anything they‘ve done before. Oh, and absurdly sexually charged as normal, with front woman Karen O still sounding filthier than a pig in muck, especially on opener ‘Rockers That Swallow’, complete with a grinding, chugging guitar riff from Nick Zinner and Brian Chase’s dependable drumming. ‘Down Boy’ is even better, with a sleazy, stop start opening and then Zinner’s guitar work really cutting loose, showcasing the fact that he’s one of the most talented and interesting players of his generation.
Of course, O’s vocals are their usual alluring self, with ‘Kiss Kiss’ featuring her combination of being bold and brassy and yet also seductive as a sea siren luring guidable sailors to their doom. The track itself is also the fastest paced one on offer, hurtling by and, the basic tune being a New York cousin of all things, Black Sabbath’s Paranoid, only given a punkish makeover.
Finally, the EP closes with the title track and ‘10 X 10’. Zinner himself compared 'Is Is' to the likes of the Velvet Underground and there is some truth to that, a relentless pound to the tune that could easily have been steeped in a smoky New York club circa 1968, O hollering that “all her loves are here in pieces”. The concluding track is perhaps the most straightforward, a slice of in your face American alt rock. Still, it’s delivered with the effortless class that the YYY’s have, as while O’s voice wails, Chase’s rhythms thud and Zinner’s guitar squeals, there’s never a sense that they are crowding each other out. Instead, they seem to fuse into one rumbling juggernaut and that’s what Is Is highlights. A potent and sexy reminder of the band and a warning to anyone who may forget about them while they’re gone.
Released on 23/07/07 on Polydor Records.
