Brash, sexy and ridiculously self-confident, the Yeah Yeah Yeahs combine the raw blues of the White Stripes with the New York City cool of the Strokes. And if they're not quite up there with the big two just yet, this debut album is more than good enough to suggest that it's only a matter of time. In large part this is due to their sassy frontwoman Karen O, who manages to be both a fashion icon and a pretty decent singer - a rare enough feat these days. And if the blend of her screeching, panting sexual confessions and her two bandmates' DIY garage rock ethic is undeniably on the primitive side, it hardly matters when the results are such pure, uncomplicated fun. The first two thirds of Fever To Tell are a sweaty blur of frantic punk riffs and whooping choruses, many of the tracks clocking in at under the two minute mark. Then, just when it's all starting to get a bit repetitive, the YYYs show they've got more than one string to their bow by finishing off with four slow-burning ballads. Worth the hype? Absolutely.
