Considering that Yeah Yeah Yeahs' latest EP consists of songs dating back as far as 2003, it's not unfair to assume that Is Is is a stopgap release, and perhaps a bit of a cop-out as far as the New York trio's creativity is concerned. It's just as well, then, that the tribal drum smash of Rockers To Swallow provides a damned good opening to this EP, one which comes not-so-hot on the heels of last year's Show Your Bones album. Is Is may not be any sort of departure from YYY's usual fare - all five tracks were written during the Fever To Tell tour, after all - but if it ain't broke, why fix it? The eerie lull and stomping, gnarled chorus of single Down Boy , the sultry tension of Kiss Kiss, the languid menance of Isis and meticulously-delivered closer 10x10 wrap up the EP, which, at just seventeen minutes long, may not be hugely exciting, but is certainly enough to whet the appetite for the next album.
