CLAP YOUR HANDS SAY YEAH

Hysterical

[Red General]

For a band whose very name implies hyperactivity, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah have been surprisingly inactive for the last few years. Following a self-released 2005 debut that became an indie-rock sensation, the band released a hurried sophomore LP in 2007 before entering a self-imposed hibernation. That break led to the usual flurry of forgettable side projects, but now it’s back to business. Frontman Alec Ounsworth’s soaring vocals remain Clap Your Hands Say Yeah’s most accessible attraction—his David-Gray-with-gravitas delivery on “Yesterday, Never” is an emotional roller coaster that won’t allow you off the ride, the shimmering, effervescent synths helping to keep you strapped in. Lee Sargent’s keyboards are all over Hysterical, making it the band’s most atmospheric effort yet. Though some of the more bombastic tracks veer dangerously close to Pretty in Pink tribute-band territory, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah earns its standing ovation once the credits roll. –Jesse Thompson