Clap Your Hands Say Yeah/Stagnant Pools

Clap Your Hands Say Yeah has definitely outgrown its youthful, dance-y sound in favor of a more laid-back feel. That much is evident on the just-released Only Run. Their sound almost borders on shoegaze at times, but they still manage to retain their foot-tapping beats. Songs like “Blameless” and “Little Moments” have a synth effect with touches of piano and a soundscape backdrop. The title track, “Only Run” ups the pace with a faster beat and features Alec Ounsworth’s whiny vocals taking you along a journey of what sounds like a breakup with “I don’t need to be strong/ I don’t care anymore,” dotted with keyboard touches. Fans of their earlier stuff might miss the heavier sound in their music, but “Coming Down” still retains the fuzzy rock heard in earlier releases. (Trenholme)