I think YYYs had played out most of the textbook possiblilties of their first incarnation as arty garage rock band. It was time for YYYs to move on, before creative ossification set in. Skeletons is evidence of what a confident and unique vocal stylist Karen has become. I always thought Karen O.'s habit of level mixing her expressive vocals beneath the high decibal wash of YYY's wall of sound was a sign of insecurity on her part.
JJJ's analogy to Chrissie Hynde's development as a vocalist rings true. There's no question that YYYs is an artistic vehicle for the talents of Karen O., in the same manner that the Pretenders were synonomous with Chrissie Hynde's development as a songwriter and singer.
It's inevitable that insanely talented female vocalists like O., Chrissie, Patti Smith, Janis Joplin, or Bjork will be in command any band they sing with. The indomitable force of Karen O.'s creative vision is bigger than any band she plays in.
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There are two types of music: the first type is the blues and the second type is all the other stuff.
Townes Van Zandt
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