Yeah Yeah Yeahs Banish the Guitar

We weren’t quite sure how serious Yeah Yeah Yeahs’ Nick Zinner was when he told Spin last week that the group’s upcoming album It’s a Blitz! was recorded under a strict, Karen O–mandated “no guitars for Nick!� directive. But the album’s first track, “Zero,� swaps in tons of synths for Zinner’s stellar axwork. And, while it may play out differently over the course of Blitz’s ten tracks, initial results are strong: Karen O’s pitch-escalating vocals and kiss-off lyrics are right-on for the dance-floor-flirting track. It’s uncharted territory for the Yeah Yeah Yeahs but still feels comfortable, and should just about tide us over until Blitz! drops on April 14.