John's Track of the Week: Yeasayer's "Ambling Alp"

Song: Ambling Alp

Artist: Yeasayer

Album: Odd Blood

Rating: 8.0

What better to start up the hype surrounding Yeasayer's upcoming release Odd Blood than featuring first single, "Ambling Alp?" The track is a strong statement ahead of the album, which looks to further entrench the band in the psychedelic and experimental indie landscape. With catchy, complicated melodies like this one, I doubt it'll be much longer before Yeasayer is considered among the industry's most enterprising innovators.

With a bouncy pop and worldbeat flavor, "Ambling Alp"'s energy is contagious and exciting-- bleeding exuberance and a jovial, emphatic nature. It's a fun and entertaining mix of indie pop, jazz and experimental rock, not unlike a combination of Passion Pit, Animal Collective and TV on the Radio. Still, with those similarities in mind, the song stands on its own, ecstatic in its jolly, chanting chorus line. Positive energy abound, Yeasayer's late-2009 single is aiming to be the trendsetter in early 2010, and for all intents and purposes, they are the act to follow for at least the first month or two of the year.

Yeasayer -- "Ambling Alp" (Via Stereogum)