Yeasayer Show Development With Experimental New Set

It used to be rare for a band's debut album to get so much praise that it became almost impossible for them to follow it up with anything resembling credibility or a progression of ideas. Yet as exemplified by recent sterling releases from the Horrors and Fuck Buttons (to name but two), the curse of the "difficult second album" may well be a thing of the past.

Joining their ranks with an ease that borders on the indecent are Brooklyn's neo-hippies Yeasayer. Taking the stage at London's Heaven nightclub on Tuesday night (Feb. 23), it became abundantly clear that progression need not necessarily mean the self-indulgent prog of the 1970s.

Having familiarised themselves with the joys of the barber shop, Yeasayer have managed to harness the thrills of pop music without giving up a ounce of their experimental edge. With a set drawn heavily from their new album, 'Odd Blood,' Yeasayer's expanded line-up, panoramic sound and soaring harmonies filled the rammed nightclub. 'O.N.E.''s bounce proved to be particularly infectious, while 'I Remember' and 'Madder Red' effortlessly displayed why this summer's festivals will theirs for the taking.

The encore of older material such as 'Sunrise' may have been unfamiliar to new converts but it ultimately showcased a band whose breadth of sound and vision has the potential to be here with us for quite some time.