Clap Your Hands Say Yeah - o2 Academy

IT is somewhat of a tragedy that it has taken CLAP YOUR HANDS SAY YEAH seven years to make their Liverpool debut, but all the signs pointed towards it being a worthwhile wait.

They arrive to promote Hysterical, their third and most accessible album to date.

This production-heavy release is somewhat of a departure for a band famed for their subtle and quirky sound.

 2005’s critically acclaimed self-titled debut was a real stand out album amidst the plethora of Indie drivel that populated the mid-noughties music scene.

Latest album Hysterical

Yet two albums later and they haven’t managed to push on or even recapture the magic that surrounds their debut, yet have remained a cult favourite.

After a mediocre reception to 2007’s Some Loud Thunder their latest effort is a far more polished and direct affair, in places more akin to a record by THE KILLERS.

It may lack some of the warmth of their previous releases, yet on this showing it transfers well to the live stage and when weaved amongst their previous material it all equates to a hugely agreeable showing.

The good news for those who have patiently waited for CYHSY’s first Liverpool appearance is that the show is littered with tracks from their debut album, in equal measure to those showcased from the new record.

In addition, it is as much a surprise as it is a treat to see them in the smaller of the Academy’s room, with the intimate setting suiting them down to the ground and allowing those diehards to see them up close.

Meursault - grandiose Scottish Rock

It is not full for support band MEURSAULT, and as I catch their last two tracks they seem to have warmed the crowd up nicely with some grandiose alternative Scottish rock.

The Edinburgh group boast two drummers, though it seems to be purely for effect as it offers little extra to the sound.

They churn out a big sound that sadly is lacking in the quality to really back it up and drop any jaws. That said, Biffy Clyro should perhaps be watching their backs with these guys on the rise.

Stage is set

As the stage gets set for the headliners there is a good buzz of anticipation as the Academy starts to fill, the one barman suddenly becoming inundated with custom.

Amidst the clamour at the bar CYHSY slip on stage unannounced, led by the diminutive figure of Alec Ounsworth, whose cap and glasses make him look like a cartoon Elvis Costello.

New tracks Same Mistake and latest single Hysterical are thrown in early, sandwiched between crowd pleasers Satan Said Dance and Gimmie Some Salt.

Laden with strings, Same Mistake floats along driven by pounding drums while Hysterical is a frantic number again driven by the rhythm section while swirling guitars and synth overtones show CYHSY’s beefed up new stadium rock sound.

The sound is strong, singer Ounsworth’s shrill vocals are not dwarfed by this powerful new direction, yet it feels a little forced and cold. Reading between the lines, perhaps this is a direction shift that feels necessary rather than desirable.

However, if the new tracks don’t really hit the spot it seems the band have just been warming up. The second half of this set is pure magic and is a real reminder of just how good this band can be.

Details Of The War and Lost And Found are sublime, new track Misspent Youth is a haunting beauty, with reverb-laden guitar washing over Ounsworth’s strikingly beautiful vocal that is reminiscent of Thom Yorke at his sublime best.

Hitting their stride

Maniac is a lively new number which is well received before the band hit top gear rattling off classic favourites Is This Love and Upon This Tidal Wave Of Young Blood, which really get the crowd dancing and worked up into a furor before an emphatic rendition of The Skin Of My Yellow Country Teeth provides a the highlight of the entire set, and is rightly met with rapturous applause from a breathless crowd.

A Barnstorming finale

From a slightly shaky start, confidence really grew as this epic set wore on. It is clear that the love felt for those early songs still resonates here and the reception for them seemed to really spur the band on and deliver their new material with greater confidence.

They return for a short encore, finishing on a barnstorming, bring the house down version of Heavy Metal complete with pogoing from the crowd.

The overriding feeling by the end is that this is a triumphant, and long overdue debut in Liverpool that will not be forgotten soon. Let's just hope it's not another six years before they return.