The Tourist is the 5th album from Clap Your Hands Say Yeah. The band, which formed in 2004 and originally consisted of 5 members (they all met at Connecticut College), is now down to just one member, Alec Ounsworth, who handled most of CYHSY's songwriting since the beginning. Ounsworth recently mentioned that the LP was not easy to make, "by virtue of the fact that it was an emotional time" for him. Such anguish and personal battles fuel the lyrics and subject matters of the album, with pop-conscious, Talking Heads-informed arrangements of synths, effects, harmonics, and guitars providing a bright contrast to the darkness. Includes the songs: "Down (is where I want to be)," "The Pilot," "Better Off," "A Chance to Cure," "Fireproof," and "Loose Ends." 10 tracks in all, self released on limited-edition white vinyl.

• limited-edition
• white vinyl pressing
• includes download code
• music label: Clap Your Hands Say Yeah 2017

reviewed by enbee 03/2017