Mosquito
Yeah Yeah Yeahs · 2013
62 min · 15 tracks · alternative rock
A chaotic blend of punk energy and experimental soundscapes, Mosquito captures the Yeah Yeah Yeahs' distinctive artistic edge.
Top tracks — play these first
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Sacrilege Start here — This track stands out for its unique combination of gospel choir elements layered over punk-infused instrumentation, marking a bold artistic choice for the band.
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Mosquito — The title track encapsulates the album's themes of discomfort and urgency, blending jangly guitars with electronic beats that highlight the band's experimental edge.
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Buried Alive — Featuring a notable collaboration with Dr. Octagon’s Kool Keith, this song showcases a fusion of rock and hip-hop influences, illustrating the band's genre-blurring tendencies.
Elevation
Our rating, out of 100 — and why.
AI-generated from five scored dimensions. An opinion, not a measurement.
The album's experimental approach and varied song structures contribute to its distinctiveness but result in uneven cohesion.
What we noticed
- The first three tracks feature a high-energy tempo with layered instrumentation, while the fourth track introduces a slower, more atmospheric sound.
- Several tracks incorporate unconventional song structures, such as abrupt shifts in dynamics and tempo, particularly in 'Buried Alive' and 'Area 52'.
- Composition 25% of the score
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7/10
- Craft 20% of the score
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6/10
- Durability 25% of the score
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6/10
- Distinctiveness 18% of the score
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7/10
- Sequencing 12% of the score
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5/10
the writing — melody, harmony, structure, lyrics
production, performance, arrangement
whether it rewards returning to it
whether it sounds like itself
running order, pacing, length
Known within its scene. Reported but not counted — how far a record travelled describes its reception rather than the record, and a newer release has had less time to travel than an older one.
Is this for you?
Good fit if you like
- wave-like pacing for exploration
- haunting melodies for introspection
- dynamic shifts in energy
- acoustic versions for intimate moments
- emotional depth in varied tracks
Maybe skip if you
- seekers of instant gratification
- prefer straightforward song structures
Where this album fits
- In the catalog
- Experimental — Features a chaotic blend of punk and experimental sounds, exploring new artistic directions.
- Themes
- gospel-infused punk· experimental soundscapes
- Career context
- Released on April 12, 2013, Mosquito is the fourth studio album from Yeah Yeah Yeahs, following their critically acclaimed album It's Blitz! (2009). At this point in their career, the band was exploring new sonic territories with a more expansive production approach while maintaining their signature style. This album marked a notable evolution in their sound as they incorporated electronic elements and atmospheric textures.
- Stylistic neighbors
- Sonic Youth· The Kills· Interpol
Tracklist
- 1 Sacrilege Start here 3:50
- 2 Subway 5:16
- 3 Mosquito 2:59
- 4 Under the Earth 4:18
- 5 Slave 4:06
- 6 These Paths 5:03
- 7 Area 52 2:54
- 8 Buried Alive 5:16
- 9 Always 4:06
- 10 Despair 4:49
- 11 Wedding Song 4:58
- 12 Subway (NOLA demo) 3:54
- 13 Wedding Song (acoustic version) 2:53
- 14 Despair (acoustic version) 5:00
- 15 Mosquito (live from Area 52) 3:22
If this landed
Records by other artists that run on the same instinct.
Reference: Wikipedia · MusicBrainz · Wikidata
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