Yeah Yeah Yeahs' 'Bones' Grows Strong

Has Karen O spewed her last Heineken? The audacious Yeah Yeah Yeahs singer, famous for dousing crowds with beer, spit and nervy sex appeal, is back with guitarist Nick Zinner and drummer Brian Chase for their toned-down sophomore outing "Show Your Bones." It's a dusky and confident second act for the New York trio -- and it might be the best rock album we'll hear in 2006.

Three years ago, Yeah Yeah Yeahs surfed into the mainstream on a tidal wave of hype with their prickly debut "Fever to Tell." Back then, Ms. O (short for Orzolek) squeaked and shrieked over Zinner's serrated riffs and Chase's rowdy thump, spouting lyrics rife with threats, confessions, put-downs and come-ons. Everything about the band was loud, agitated and on display, but it was the disarming ballad "Maps" that became their breakthrough hit. "Show Your Bones" invites listeners back to that plaintive terrain for most of its excellent 39 minutes.

Don't worry -- they haven't gone totally soft. The disc's opening half replaces the reckless romps with a more subdued and compelling brand of thunder. The first single, "Gold Lion," strums along like vintage T. Rex before bursting into flames, "Way Out" wraps jingle-jangle guitars over airtight drumming, and "Phenomena" drops a 10-ton riff, evoking a screwed-and-chopped remix of Led Zeppelin's "Trampled Under Foot."

Karen O does a stellar job at finding her place in this new soundscape, offering quick peeks at her fragmented lyric book. She obviously isn't getting paid by the word on "Show Your Bones," and rationing her howl makes her contributions all the more intriguing.

"Check what's in the trash bag/We're just another part of you," she moans over the PJ Harveyesque dirge of "Fancy" before unleashing a roar that's buried in the mix. She sounds as good on the margins of these songs as she does in the spotlight, and maneuvers herself skillfully.

Zinner is also in top form, giving lessons on how to make a guitar sound like a car alarm, a broken hair dryer, even Ennio Morricone's string section. It's clear that this dude loves the '90s, with the ghosts of R.E.M., the Breeders and Mazzy Star haunting his guitar work to marvelous effect.

The album closes with a somber suite of tunes sewn together with acoustic guitars, stark drumming, and O sounding remarkably graceful and bittersweet. The verses sway, the choruses swell -- "I know what I know," she assures us during the closing bars of "Turn Into."

It's the tender sound of triumph.

Yeah Yeah Yeahs are scheduled to perform at the 9:30 club April 3. The concert is sold out.