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Cool It Down is the fifth studio album by American indie rock band Yeah Yeah Yeahs, released on September 30, 2022, through Secretly Canadian. It marks the group's first album since 2013's Mosquito and their first release through Secretly Canadian. The lead single "Spitting Off the Edge of the World" featuring Perfume Genius was released on June 1, 2022. The band began a world tour in support of the record from June 2022.[2]

Cool It Down
Studio album by Yeah Yeah Yeahs
Released	September 30, 2022 (2022-09-30)
Length	32:24
Label	Secretly Canadian
Producer	Dave Sitek Justin Raisen Andrew Wyatt
Yeah Yeah Yeahs chronology
Mosquito (2013) Cool It Down (2022)
Singles from Cool It Down
"Spitting Off the Edge of the World" Released: June 1, 2022 "Burning" Released: August 10, 2022[1]

Background

In a press release, Karen O stated: "Don't have to tell you how much we've been going through in the last nine years since our last record, because you've been going through it too [...] So yes we've taken our time, happy to report when it's ready it really does just flow out."[3] The title of the album was taken from the Velvet Underground song of the same name from their 1970 album Loaded,[4] while lead single "Spitting Off the Edge of the World" was inspired by the climate crisis.[5] "Fleez," the album's fourth track, incorporates elements from fellow New York City band ESG's 1981 song "Moody".[6]

Yeah Yeah Yeahs first teased new music in early May 2022 after announcing shows in New York City and Los Angeles in October.[5]

Critical reception

Professional ratings

Aggregate scores
Source	Rating
Metacritic	82/100[7]
Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[8]
NME	[9]
Pitchfork	7.4/10[10]

Cool It Down was well-received by critics upon its release. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream publications, the album received an average score of 82, based on 22 reviews.[7]

Reviewing the album for AllMusic, Heather Phares wrote that "For a band who seemed so impulsive at the outset, Yeah Yeah Yeahs' reflection and deliberation has been a surprising strength that's only grown with time. They may never lose all their restlessness -- nor should they -- but it's undeniable that Cool It Down is one of their most consistent albums."[8] Writing for NME, Erica Campbell declared that, "Despite its acute focus on the current bleak state of things, the album shines a light on a brighter and divergent future; not just for the world, but for a band who continues to evolve among critiques that their past is the best part of them."[9]

Phillipe Roberts was more reserved in praising the album for Pitchfork, claiming that; "Yeah Yeah Yeahs spend some of Cool It Down's sharpest moments citing and deconstructing their influences with refreshing candor. ... But every now and then, [Karen O's] reliable lyrical workhorse hits a brick wall."[10]

Track listing

Personnel

Yeah Yeah Yeahs

• Karen O – vocals, synthesizer
• Nick Zinner – guitar, synthesizer
• Brian Chase – drums, cymbals, percussion

Additional musicians

• Perfume Genius – vocals (1)
• Anthony Paul Lopez – percussion (4)
• Justin Raisen – sound effects (4)
• Mark Nishita – synthesizer (4, 8)
• Stephen Hussey – orchestra leader (5)
• Urban Soul – strings (5, 7)

Technical

• Greg Calbi – mastering
• Steve Fallone – mastering
• Shawn Everett – mixing
• Derek Coburn – engineering (1–3, 6)
• Mario Ramirez – engineering (1–3, 6)
• Justin Raisen – engineering (4, 8)
• Anthony Paul Lopez – engineering (4, 8)
• Ainjel Emme – engineering (4)
• Adam Noble – engineering (5, 7)
• Andrew Wyatt – engineering (5, 7)
• Jens Jungkurth – engineering (5, 7)
• Tim O'Sullivan – engineering (5, 7)
• Will Purton – engineering (5, 7)

Charts

Chart performance for Cool It Down

Chart (2022)	Peak position
Australian Albums (ARIA)[11]	19
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[12]	123
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[13]	29
Irish Albums (IRMA)[14]	80
New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)[15]	24
Scottish Albums (OCC)[16]	6
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[17]	41
UK Albums (OCC)[18]	10
UK Independent Albums (OCC)[19]	2
US Billboard 200[20]	45
US Independent Albums (Billboard)[21]	6
US Top Rock Albums (Billboard)[22]	6

References

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