Clap Your Hands Say Yeah – New Fragility LP

Description

WhileClap Your Hands Say Yeahhas essentially always been a solo vehicle for lead singer/songwriterAlec Ounsworth, the group’s introspective sixth album, 2021’sNew Fragilitytakes this idea to its fullest degree. Recorded and produced byOunsworthin Austin, Texas with some additional production byWill Johnson,New Fragilityis a poetic, deeply personal album that findsOunsworthsearching for an ever-deeper sense of meaning in what often feels like an increasingly tumultuous and fragile world. The album follows 2017’sThe Tourist, which itself wasOunsworth‘s first album as the sole remaining member of the band. While still steeped in his love of ’70s and ’80s post-punk textures,New Fragilityplays as a proper solo album, spotlightingOunsworth‘s literate songwriting style and distinctively nasal vocals. It’s a sound with a raw-nerve quality that reinforces the soul-searching nature of the material. The opening “Hesitating Nation” and the title track are kinetic anthems, rife with a passionate forward motion that brings to mind an unexpected mix of thePixiesandBruce Springsteen. They also displayOunsworth‘s dichotomous knack for applying often-melancholy lyrics to catchy melodies. On the title track he evokes the pain of a break-up, singing “I never want to take another chance on anyone.” Similarly, on theBowie-esque ballad “Mirror Song,” he turns the life of a touring musician into a metaphor for fending off loneliness, singing “We will do what we need to keep this fantasy alive.” Adding to the song’s sharp poignancy isOunsworth‘s deft use of a toy piano. Other inventive instrumental flourishes follow, including a string quartet on “Innocent Weight,” and an otherworldly analog synth on “Dee, Forgiven.” DuringClap Your Hands Say Yeah‘s early years in the mid-2000s,Ounsworthoften dismissed critical comparisons of their work to bands likeRadioheadandNeutral Milk Hotel, even when they were meant as compliments. While one can certainly hear touchstones echoed throughoutNew Fragility, it has the singularity and focus of one artistic voice. -All Music Guide