Yeasayer emerged in 2007 with their widely heralded debut All Hour Cymbals, an album that showcased a wonderfully experimental streak.  Their brand of neo-psychdelia paid off in a big way and the Brooklyn trio was able to reach a wide range of the indie audience.  They returned in 2010 with Odd Blood, which found them going off in a totally different direction winding up with a miasma of sounds all crammed together.  It was clear after two records that Yesayer were a band in search of their identity, and on their third LP, they bring in another completely different set of ideas that does little to connect their work of the present with what they’ve done in that past.

Fragrant World is the sound of a band that isn’t boring, but at the same time has yet to pick a coherent direction to head.  This lack of decisiveness makes for a record that tries to say everything at once, but doesn’t say a whole lot of anything when it comes down to it.  One thing is certain; the band that wowed crowds and critics with their adventurous take on psychedelic rock in 2007 has all but faded away.

This time around these Brooklynites have made electro pop the order of the day. From start to finish, you’re unlikely to hear anything but electronics, and the band has, for the most part, aimed for the dance floor.  This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, opening track ‘Fingers Never Bleed’ could easily get bodies in motion, and ‘Longevity’ features Chris Keating’s best vocals on the album, his high pitched tone playing well with the deep beats swirling beneath him.

For the most part though Yeasayer have tried to do too much on Fragrant World.  Lead single ‘Henrietta’ comes across as seasick science fiction and doesn’t offer a lot to lure the listener in, while tracks like ‘Devil and the Deed’ and ‘Demon Road’ are filled to the brim with sound, and are more abrasive than they are enticing.

The most frustrating thing about listening to Fragrant World is knowing that Yeasayer aren’t short on ideas, they just don’t seem to be able to focus when the time comes.  There could be several albums worth of material contained throughout the course of the record, and maybe even in one song.  The messy pop music they’ve come up with here is a disappointment but still shows off a talented young band, perhaps as they get older and put more time in the studio they’ll find a way to contain themselves and hit on their strengths.

Grade: C