Clap Your Hands Say Yeah had a lot of pressure on them for their second album, mainly due to them being the most hyped up band of 2005. Their story was one told over and over ever since their first album came out: five indie rockers out of Brooklyn that released and distributed their debut album themselves. By great reviews and word of mouth, they steadily grew bigger. Everyone awaited the new album from their favorite Cinderella band, though many people predicted their downfall. However, with a bit of luck, Some Loud Thunder will overcome that and score almost as well as their debut album.
There seem to be three parts to this album. Some of the songs are catchy indie rock songs that Clap Your Hands Say Yeah has come to be known for. Single "Underwater (You and Me)" stays entertaining for five full minutes, while the actual music changes very little.
Then there are songs that sound very forced to be dramatic and artsy. Clap Your Hands Say Yeah tries too hard on songs such as "Love Song No. 7" and "Five Easy Pieces," although many followers of the band will like them. Singer Alec Ounsworth outdoes himself in "Five Easy Pieces" with vocals that are nearly impossible to understand.
Some songs on the album don't fit in at all. Just like on their first album, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah throw in a few short songs that appear to be there just to fill up space. On Some Loud Thunder, songs like "Arm and Hammer" and "Upon Encountering the Crippled Elephant" are sure to be hit-and-miss for many people. Another song that stands out is "Satan Said Dance," the apparent tour favorite. "Satan Said Dance" is a disappointing dance song, rich in the area of keyboard effects and random noises. Why they choose to play this song when they appear on T.V. is a mystery to me.
But, in the end, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah do what they do best; vocal melodies lead by Ounsworth's whiny yet somehow comforting voice. However, this album goes a new direction in the form of guitars. On Some Loud Thunder, we get to hear Clap Your Hands Say Yeah play more than just chords in songs such as "Yankee Go Home," and "Goodbye to Mother and the Cove," which starts with nearly a minute and a half of lead guitars. Some Loud Thunder has many good songs, though several songs hold the album back from being great. Clap Your Hand Say Yeah's second album seems to have broken the hype, but this will only build more pressure on to their Cinderella story.
