The problem with an Elephant is that sometimes it gets in the way.

Sometimes, what's behind it is even more interesting and exciting but, because the beast is so big and makes so much noise, that other something gets lost or taken as merely part of the scenery in which the giant mammal is the focal point.

So let's take a drug-tipped blow dart, shall we, and fell the White Stripes' mighty beast -- the dominant force in the alt rock landscape -- just long enough to have a gander at something that might just be even better: the Yeah Yeah Yeah's debut Fever to Tell.

Maybe it's the female vocals, which add an extra wonderfully scuzzy layer of street sexuality to the songs -- jagged, painted fingernails that switch from across the blackboard to down the spine, drawing a trickle of blood from both the ears and back.

Or maybe it's the tension in the NYC trio's relentless Wedding Present-esque, new wave, garage rock that's so raw, taut and full of jittery endorphines, switching/derailing tracks and scenery, while rolling forward full throttle.

Or maybe it's even the songs themselves -- the savage and shimmering Rich, the catty Black Tongue, the blistering and bouncy Pin, the heart-shatteringly vulnerable Maps -- which are, every single one of them, rim-full of cathartic aggression, melody and emotion.

Whatever the case, the Yeah Yeah Yeahs have slapped down an exhilarating guitar rock safari that's more interesting and, yes, even better than the mighty Elephant that will probably overshadow them.

Track Listing
1. Rich
2. Date With The Night
3. Man
4. Tick
5. Black Tongue
6. Pin
7. Cold Light
8. No No No
9. Maps
10. Y Control
11. Modern Romance