November 5th, 2009
CYHSY Looks Finished, For Real.
Although Alec Ounsworth hasn’t really come right out and said it — though he hinted at it to Rolling Stone, and I got a similar feeling when I spoke with the singer/multi-instrumentalist a couple weeks ago — I think it’s fairly safe to say at this point that Clap Your Hands Say Yeah is done for good. That may be due in part to Ounsworth being emboldened by the fine critical reception to his new solo debut, Mo Beauty: “The sharpest arrangements and best songwriting of his short career Almost every tune on Mo Beauty equals or betters those on CYHSY’s lauded 2005 debut,” enthused Spin; “A balanced, evocative work,” noted Pitchfork, which gave the album a 7.7. Another factor in CYHSY’s likely demise — Ounsworth’s current devotion to Flashy Python, his long-running side project-turned-main focus, which played a stellar set two weeks ago at the TLA opening for Dr. Dog.
It’s just been announced that the quintet — which has been playing Flashy Python, Mo Beauty, and, interestingly, revamped Clap Your Hands Say Yeah songs live — is set to open four shows for Cold War Kids in January (in L.A., San Francisco, New York, and Chicago) and then plans to spend all of 2010 on the road. So it appears that after a couple of years of hinting at CYHSY’s demise, Ounsworth’s actions suggest the group is finally done for good. Of course, everyone reunites, so maybe we should just stay tuned for the 2011 comeback. Meanwhile, when we hear about the next Flashy Python date in Philly, we’ll let you know.
