Yeasayer
O2 Academy 2, Birmingham
16/02/2010

“What’s the definition of pop?” was the pointed question fired back at The Fly’s JJ Dunning during a recent interview with Yeasayer. And, when you think about it, it ain’t easy to pin down. With tonight’s Birmingham show, the first of Yeasayer’s UK tour, taking place at the same time as The Brit Awards, you’d want to waterboard anyone associating this band with the utter discharge that is recognised at that aforementioned shower o’shite.  As The Fly’s mood is still on a higher Technicolour plane thanks to the awesome bric-a-brac hip hop of Javelins, we almost miss how ludicrously dressed Yeasayer guitarist Anand Wilder is, entering the stage in a floral jumpsuit. Then again, after falling in love with new album ‘Odd Blood’ and its psychedelic flushes of surreal brilliance, once we clock his attire, it kinda begs the question, what else would he wear?

The heebeegeebee vocal of ‘The Children’ swirls round the Academy building to the soaring harmonies of the intro of ‘Madder Red’, before it kicks into the eastern wriggles of the verses, establishing the band in a league that we were not quite expecting from them in a live capacity. The additions of Jason Trammell on drums and Ahmed Gallab on keyboards and percussion have given them a new textural depth that puts them on at least an equal footing to fellow Brooklynites TV On The Radio - another band that has opted for a more direct approach of arrangements and hooks as opposed to thick layers of haziness.

Is it pop? Gawd knows. As the triumphant encore of ’2080′ ends the show, it’s clear that it doesn’t matter what the hell you want to call it. And we’re happy to let Yeasayer define or redefine music however they choose, such is the power of their outstanding performance tonight.

Andy Roberts