For those of you expecting 'Date With The Night' part II or even a continuation of 'Maps', the colossal introduction of a drum sound borrowed from Queen's 'We Will Rock You' will come as a total shock.
That's what the initial 30 seconds of 'Gold Lion', the comeback single from Yeah Yeah Yeahs, offer the unsuspecting listener - once the delectable melt-in-your-mouth vocals of Karen O kick in, it proves to be a departure from the norm that was well worth waiting for.
Simplistic lyrically, and with a guitar hook that may owe a slight nod to Jack White's songbook,_ 'Gold Lion'_ doesn't sound overwhelmingly significant on the surface. After half a dozen listens, though, its richness - or rather Miss O's whoops and shrieks - captivate and excite in equal measures.
Groundbreaking as far as wheel re-invention it may not be, but as a taster for what to expect from their forthcoming second album_ Show Your Bones, _'Gold Lion' is ample proof that Yeah Yeah Yeahs have been busily re-inventing themselves during their lengthy hiatus.
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8Dom Gourlay's Score