Clap Your Hands Say Yeah may have been under the radar for the past couple of years, but with the release of its third album, Hysterical, the band is sure to make a resounding re-entry back into the indie scene. The 12-track album is filled with the band’s quintessentially lighthearted beats and distinct voice of lead singer Alec Ounsworth, yet it manages to show a whole new side to the band. 

Despite rumors of breaking up in 2009, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah took a short hiatus but reconvened after a few years and decided to make its latest album.

In an interview with Rolling Stone, Ounsworth said, “None of us really believed we were finished as a band.”

When listening to Hysterical,  it is evident that the hard work they put into making Hysterical paid off.

Hysterical brings a sense of life into the band that wasn’t there before (hence the title). The first three tracks on the album follow Clap Your Hands’ typical, lighthearted style, but the real heart of the album can be found within the middle tracks.

One in particular, “In a Motel,” demonstrates the band’s maturity and transformational evolution because it is a track completely different from any one on their previous albums. This track, and many others, are slow and melodic without being boring.

Ounsworth’s voice may still be the same, but the lyrics and quality of the band are at a whole new level. In the end, Hysterical is a triumph not only because Clap Your Hands Say Yeah gave each other a second chance, but also because it brings something new to the table while staying true to the band’s original sound.