Pros: Cool electronic effects mixed with rock elements; "Dawn of the Dead" is a standout
Cons: I could deal without the annoying "Let's Make Out"
The Bottom Line: A fun record that should appeal to fans of more aggressive, electro-infused indie rock as well as fans of danceable and punk-influenced electronic music.
xxxxer's Full Review: You Have No Idea What You're Getting Yourself Into...
Formed in Reading, Berkshire in 2007, Does It Offend You, Yeah? quickly became one of the more talked about music artists in the last two years off the strength of their live shows, a quality debut album, and numerous songs heard in video games, commercials, and movies. Founding members Dan Coop (synthesizer), Rob Bloomfield (drums) and James Rushent (vocals, guitar, bass, synthesizer) mainly take hard rock jams and lays in plenty of synthesizer to create hybrid rock/electro pieces that are raucous and energetic. There's not much new to the sound that DIOYY craft; these hard-hitting types of beats have been done by groups such as The Chemical Brothers and Daft Punk for years, and more recently bands such as Death From Above 1979, Justice and Crystal Castles have been making hybrid rock/electro sounds, but the energy of DIOYY's debut album You Have No Idea What You're Getting Yourself Into is undeniable.
Running a little over a half hour, You Have No Idea... captures DIOYY at its most frantic, with pounding beats laid out against flailing synth lines that blip, screech and flutter. Through it all, there's a nice rock 'n' roll basis that makes the record sound very song driven in spite of the heavy doses of electronics. In the case of some electro acts, it's difficult to imagine the group being able to pull off the exact sound in a live environment, but due to DIOYY's reliance on guitar, bass and drums to form the basis for their tracks, their songs seem more realistically playable, thereby enabling the listener to actually envision the performance of the tracks.
DIOYY's debut contains all kinds of tracks, ranging from full on electro assaults right up to 1980's-styled synthesizer rock. The album starts off with a bang with "Battle Royale," with synthesizer-enhanced pummelling drum beats, gnarling bass hooks, and buzz-saw-like electronic sound effects. In the midst of the electronic freakout, DIOYY throws in a spacey interlude sequence with a nice guitar lick and synth accompaniment before transitioning back into the electronic jam. The track is a great opener, and leads right into "With a Heavy Heart (I Regret To Inform You)," which is a more song-like track with Rushent whining through a vocal part over a frenetic drum part and snarling guitar and bass hooks. This track is a nice fusion of live and synthesized elements, a neat piece that throws in electro tweaks in with the live instrumentation.
Two of the my favorite tracks on the album are the 1980's styled synth rock numbers "Dawn of the Dead" and "Being Bad Feels Pretty Good." "Dawn..." is a chilled out piece with a vintage sounding bass line and trademark '80s synth parts. Rushent's vocals here are slick and smooth, a far cry from his work on the more aggressive tracks and cementing "Dawn..." as one of the most catchy tracks on the disc. "Being Bad..." starts off with a more ambient synth part, quickly incorporating a buzzing bass line and screeching guitar over which Rushent's tenor vocals soar. As with "Dawn," the chorus in "Being Bad" is really memorable and catchy. While these tracks are perhaps not indicative of the band's general sound, they are probably the more accessible and listenable tracks on the disc.
The remaining tracks on the disc are mostly electro-rock; "We are Rockstars" is built off a repeating synth hook, and the somewhat similar "Doomed Now" is a furious track that has aggressive bass lines, slamming drum hits, and a vocoder vocal. "Attack of the 60 Foot Lesbian Octopus" is full on freakout, with loud electronic effects going wild and crazy for two minutes. The disc ends with the fairly restrained "Epic Last Song," that's another track featuring more calm Rushent vocals and is more rock rather than electro driven.
There's only one real throw out track for me on the disc, the annoying "Let's Make Out." Although it features a guest vocal by Sebastien Grainger, formerly of Death From Above 1979 (and in some ways sounds like a lost track from that group), the track is whiny and cocky-sounding, with cool electronic sounds but really irritating vocals.
In the end, You Have No Idea... marks the debut of one of today's more entertaining and enjoyable music acts. Does It Offend You, Yeah? use sounds and composition that's not really bringing anything new to the table, but their songs are well constructed and generally fun to listen to. The variety on the album is also definitely a bonus, as the disc contains several more rock-oriented tracks among the straight-up electro numbers. For the listener who appreciates electronic music's influence on today's indie rock, I'd highly recommend this album.
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![You Have No Idea What You're Getting Yourself Into [Digipak] by Does It Offend You, Yeah?](http://di1.shopping.com/images1/pi/d5/8f/20/2045803247-177x150-0-0.jpg)
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