The Yeah Yeah Yeahs, "It's Blitz"

Few bands have evolved as much as the Yeah Yeah Yeahs over three albums while remaining winsome. Their debut, "Fever to Tell," was a guttural punch of garage rock, with piercing vocals, rollicking chords and heavy drums. Underrated follow-up "Show Your Bones" consolidated the band's strengths while proving that they could construct four minute songs just as captivating as their two minute numbers.

And now, "It's Blitz". The YYYs' third album is less a progression than a wholesale reinvention. It's a shit-hot electro pop record, the kind of music Madonna would make if she knew how to write songs.

On "It's Blitz," the YYYs take a genre frequently reserved for hacks and make it their own. Karen O's vocals are more polished, yet still sound every bit as human. Guitarist Nick Zinner now spends more time behind a synthesizer but still puts out soaring hooks. Brian Chase's beats are more industrial while losing none of their impact.

The formula is established on album opener "Zero," easily the best song here. Starting out with O's voice and one chord on a synthesizer, the song constantly builds, adding new flourishes from the percussion and synths. After the first chorus, the drums cut away and the band takes a breather. They frequently employ this trick to mix things up and increase their impact when they switch back to full-throttle mode. Later we get a spiraling synth solo (which is far better than it sounds on paper). By the time O kicks back in with the catchy chorus, the band has built up a towering wall of sound. You can't help but sing along.

The album's other bangers are also keepers. "Heads Will Roll" has a similar chord progression to "Blue Monday". It manages to rip from the '80s while still sounding fresh and modern. "Dull Life," with its foot stomping beat, is a veritable indie hoedown.

The slower songs are more of a mixed bag. "Soft Shock" is a grower, slowly climbing with help from a bittersweet synth hook. "Dragon Queen" offers an absurdly danceable bass line and some dense fretwork from Zinner. Repeating a trick she used on breakthrough single "Maps," on "Hysteric" O repeats a line in the chorus while slowly pushing her voice higher. O doesn't have half the range of Beyonce or Mariah, yet she comes off as far more convincing.

But the band also stumbles on the slower material. The two longest songs are probably the two worst: "Skeletons" is all ether, while "Runaway" feels a bit too syrupy with its piano hook. Album closer "Little Shadow" has several brilliant melodies which end up being drowned out by a thudding beat.

The bigger complaint from some fans is that Zinner is being pulled away from his guitar. While it does seem to be a shame that one of rock's heaviest six stringers is now spending more time on keyboards, we'll always have "Fever to Tell." Besides, had the YYYs simply repeated their debut album, they would have found increasingly diminished returns. We would likely have viewed them as yet another one-album wonder. Instead, we're all wondering how they can possibly top this record.