Track Listing

1. Clap Your Hands!
2. Let The Cool Goddess Rust Away
3. Over And Over Again (lost and found)
4. Sunshine and Clouds (and everything proud)
5. Details Of The War
6. The Skin Of My Yellow Country Teeth
7. Is This Love?
8. Heavy Metal
9. Blue Turning Gray
10. Is This Home On Ice
11. Gimme Some Salt
12. Upon This Tidal Wave Of Young Blood

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #2716 in Music
• Released on: 2006-01-23
• Number of discs: 1
• Dimensions: .21 pounds

Amazon.co.uk Review
Brooklyn five-piece Clap Your Hands Say Yeah are the latest word-of-mouth sensation to power their way into the mainstream. Their debut album allegedly sold 25,000 copies around the States--all packaged and dispatched from the band’s front room--before they signed a deal.

Opening with the incongruous yet compelling carnival song "Clap Your Hands!" the album unfurls in an undulating manner. The principal musical terrain is melodic indie-rock, but the band’s well-constructed songs enable them to increase or decrease the density quota with ease. Stripped down tracks like "Over & Over Again (Lost & Found)" and "Details Of The War" balance fuller tracks like "Heavy Metal" and "In This Home On Ice" and are punctuated by coy vignettes like "Sunshine & Clouds (And Everything Proud)" and "Blue Turning Gray". The distinctive, wailing vocals of Alec Ounsworth have been—justifiably--likened to David Byrne; but while their sound can be compared to Talking Heads, Interpol and Yo La Tengo in places, it’s very much their own. For once, a band that deserve the hype. --Paul Sullivan

CD Description
This UK issue of the self- titled debut album by the New York quintet follows 25,000 US sales through word of mouth andthe internet alone. Recorded on a shoe-string budget the album's mix of wayward indie-pop and Alec Ounsworth's David Byrne like vocals have earned the band an array of favourable reviews from the press. The limited edition vinyl only single 'This Is Love' is also included.

Customer Reviews

Addictive from the first listen
I bought it on a whim, and now I can't stop listening to this album.

I'd heard good things about Clap Your Hands, but like many bands that I hear good things about, I expected to be disappointed. So it was a really pleasant surprise when from the outset, I really enjoyed the album. I'm more of a rock/metal sort of person, and I'd probably describe this as pop, but what excellent pop! Has a great upbeat tempo, that makes you feel happy.

It is one of those sort of bands that you want to liken to something, but you struggle to pin down. It definitely has a Talking Heads vibe in places, it sometimes reminds me of the Cure, Arcade Fire, Flaming Lips or Violent Femmes, it often has a similar electronica sound to the Human League, and has a lot of the simplistic brilliance of the Beta Band. The lead singer is a bit nasally for my liking (think Rufus Wainright), but for some reason it seems to work.

Buy it, it's cheap, and it'll make you smile!

5 stars
This album is fantastic. They have a really new sound - despite whatever people say about comparisons to various bands, their sound is their own - and the songs are catchy, musically intelligent and have great lyrics. It's very different from a lot of the overly commercialised stuff around at the moment - don't get me wrong, some of that is great but this is a breath of fresh air. I suppose generally they could be classed as indie - they're more mellow than you might expect from hearing that, but at the same time this is great to dance to and is really uplifting. Tracks like Over and Over Again (Lost & Found) and The Skin of my Yellow Country Teeth are simply beautiful and this album stands being played over and over again itself. This band has great potential and this is a stunning debut.

Fractured Fun
Comparisons with early period 'Talking Heads' are inevitable but 'Clap Your Hands Say Yeah' add a great deal of fun to the new wave revival (if there is one!) With skewed vocals and addictive tunes that bend and stretch until you feel dizzy but delighted. The first listen leaves you feeling that you missed something, but it certainly drags you back in for another listen with the two tracks 'Over and Over Again' and 'The Skin of my Yellow country Teeth' jumping out of the speakers at you.
If you enjoy quirky off the wall bands and singers such as the aforementioned 'Talking Heads' and others like 'XTC', 'The Modern Lovers' or even 'Cake' then you can't possibly ignore this offering. Next big thing? Nope-too specialist. But that's a good thing. Now I'm off to play it once more.