They Gave Me a Fever

‘Fever to Tell’, Interscope (2003)

By R. J. F.

Yeah Yeah Yeahs infectious debut album, ‘Fever to Tell’, hit me hard.

I love her. I love her charisma, her radiant smile, her unending joy, her untiring body, and her unique spirit. I’ve loved Karen O, lead singer of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, from the first moment I saw her. Weirdly, the first time I saw her perform onstage was during the 2004 MTV Movie Awards where the band performed “Maps” off of their 2003 album Fever to Tell. Looking at the TV screen, I was taken by this trio of a girl lead singer, a guy named Nick on guitar, and another guy named Brian on the drums, as they beat through their little-known song to an audience that probably had no idea who this (at the time) obscure New York band was. But, I was immediately in love with the song and band, but mostly, Karen O, as she beamed that giant smile during an understated performance on a humongous stage.

Fever to Tell was the band’s first full-length album, and I listened to it on repeat religiously for months afterwards. “Maps” was the song that radio stations picked up, but that song is seriously modest in comparison to the other songs on the album. “Date With The Night” is a pounding and thumping song that longs to be played as loud as possible. There are parts where Karen O sounds orgasmic, which might be the reason for the song title, or vice versa. With tambourines jingling, bass steadily bumping, hands clapping in the background, a guitar that constantly wails, and drums that just don’t quit; this song is a fucking fun ride.

Even though a large portion of the album contains rock-central songs, “Modern Romance” cools it down towards the end of the album. It’s a love song for people that have been fucked with time and again. I can relate to the lyrics because the song is both pro and con on the idea of love. As the lyrics point out, yes, it’s easy to be jaded about love because of never-ending heartbreaks; many people are jaded these days. But, it’s also possible to see through the rubble of past relationships that crumbled for one reason or another and find that other survivor in the wreckage. That’s what “Modern Romance” is about, hope for love in a world that breaks people to pieces.

I could go on and on about this album and how much I love it. I could profess that, out of all of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs albums, this one is my favorite because there isn’t a song that I regularly skip over. I could continue to describe the effervescence of Karen O and her stage presence. I could describe the talent and utter coolness of Nick and Brian. I might even contemplate spending time describing how this trio has stuck together after all these years, but I won’t because I don’t need to. Bands like the Yeah Yeah Yeahs don’t need more people to sing their praises, because the proof is in the pudding, as they say.

There is a short list of bands that I have yet to see live, and on October 6th, I’ll finally get to see the Yeah Yeah Yeahs perform at the Hollywood Bowl and take them off of that list. This has been a long time in the making, almost eight years. I’m excited to see my love, Karen O, prance and dance her way through their set. I’m even more excited to see the band play after so many years of loving them from afar on, yet again, an iconic stage. They really got me, and they still do.