New Yo La Tengo

i just ordered it. but my expectations are low. will report later. it seems that they have lost it with the last album before. the one with the ass in the title. i never listened to the cd. the tracks were too long, too predictable and too boring. it hurts when your fave band doesn't deliver the goods anymore.

As some of the reviews I've read have mentioned, the decision to dump all three 10 minute plus songs at the end really does no favors.

Is this really what the reviews are saying? To me that's completely off the mark. The last three tracks in a row are what takes the album to the next level. It's a spectacular way to end an album, taking something they've done a few times before and going so much further with it. If anything it was the last album where the sequencing bothered me a bit. I liked a lot of the individual songs but as an album it didn't have as much of an impact, was kind of dreary.

From the Pitchfork review:

After nine tracks, the only thing missing would be the usual YLT epic, and well, the band doesn't disappoint. In an odd bit of sequencing, all the long tracks are clumped together at the end, forming a trilogy of nine-minute-plus jams with wildly varying results.

I guess Mitchum just calls it "odd", but I'm trying to dig up some other reviews saying this.

I think "The Fireside" might be my fave track here -- kind of makes me think of Fairport Convention's "Reynardine" for some reason -- sleepier, but still that sort of tense, hanging in space feeling.

even more disappointing than i assumed. the album is much too long, the tracks are too long, too much repetition. and hardly any spark anywhere. a band who sounds old, really fucking old. without any interesting new ideas. they have lost me, sorry. the last track is a waste of time like no other i have ever heard by them. they should retire, please. it's not too late. their oeuvre is big and varied enough to make them one of the most subtle bands of all time.

well, to each his own! have been listening to this a lot in the last week, and loving it more w/ each spin. maybe i'm just old, really fucking old.

older than 46?

oh god no, not that old

So after giving this a few listens I'm not that crazy about it. It's definitely pleasant and enjoyable, but not that interesting (outside of the first track, which I thought was terrific). The sequencing doesn't bother me, especially on vinyl, where all the short songs are on the first LP and the 2nd is epics. However the epics aren't that compelling. I'm nearly always game for an extended jam, and YLT rarely disappoint me in this regard... but somehow a 16 minutes of the hook to My Cherie Amour and Ira's feedback isn't doing it for me. All in all I much prefer the previous one.

My opinion of this record has grown slightly, but I still think its a second-tier Yo La Tengo album. After another listen today, I decided that shifting "More Stars Than There Are In Heaven" to the first half and completely eliminating "The Fireside" (such a snooze) would make it a lot easier to take. The closing epic really works well though.

james mcnew's track ('i'm on my way', assuming it's him singing) is one of the highlights of an otherwise inconsistent record, though it does go on for a bit too long. vocally, it recalls stephen prina and jim o'rourke for me. the instrumental parts are pretty nice.

It's definitely pleasant and enjoyable, but not that interesting

this has been my view of YLT records since 'turned itself inside-out'

I haven't heard that one or Summer Sun...

this has been my view of YLT records since 'turned itself inside-out'

+1

This is the last one I'm paying for.

+2, though change that to "since 'Electr-O-Pura'" for me.

I still haven't bought a copy of the new record, but I loved "The Story of Yo La Tango" off of the last one.

Does this have any equally excellent epic guitar tunes on it?

Two of the three long ones at the end I guess, especially the 16 minute finale - lots and lots of feedback.

Exactly what I wanted to hear! I'll have to pick this up. They have it on sale for $6.99 at Newbury Comics.

Thanks, jon.

condo fucks >>> this

I'll pop in here once again with a dissenting voice -- listening to this now, and it is wonderful.

Again, I don't dislike the album, I'm just not finding enough of what I love in a YLT to see myself coming back to it very often. I'd imagine most of the songs will sound just fine when I'm in the mood to shuffle my YLT collection on random, but the album as whole just won't have me reaching back for it like I do with half a dozen of their other records.

Yeah, as with all bands 25 years into their career, it's not like the world *needs* a new Yo La Tengo album desperately. I don't know if, in a year or two, this new one will be the one I reach for when I'm in the mood for Yo La Tengo. But for now, it's sounding great!

as with all bands 25 years into their career

section 25 and for against make me heavily disagree with this!

saw them last night in los angeles. excellent two hour set, equally split between motorik, quiet tunes, and noise freakouts. pretty dope. and there was almost a fight!

I'm not usually a huge fan of Georgia's singing, but "By Two's" is amazing.

I was at the Avalon show too! I wanted more skronk in the encores, but other than that it was a good show. What/where was the fight about?

some dude with big hair was being annoying and blocking someone else's view with his head.

the world *needs* very few albums by bands 2 years into their career

well, sure. I'm just saying that with Yo La Tengo, if I'm in the mood to listen to them, I've got plenty of options at this point. I like that they're still making music, but if they stopped suddenly, there'd be more than enough of them for me to enjoy.

new tune is sounding great
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CDojbuBQlmo
big production touches working nicely.

since I Am Not Afraid it's felt like most YLT songs go on almost exactly twice as long as they need to. This isn't breaking the trend.

also the bombastic production would be cooler if they weren't burying the vocal melody - is there a term for that yet? Schmaltzgaze?

IANAOYAIWBYA is their best

schmaltzgaze! oof. i dunno, i've listened to this song three times this morning and it's getting better with each play.

new cover is neat. that is a big tree, man.
http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_mdjdgzBDCl1qga7lvo1_500.jpg

Georgia's drumming gets better and better and better with every record, which makes me look forward to every new one.

leaked

I'm assuming that this will be exactly as good as the last... four Yo La Tengo albums? I have no idea whether. Want a new one or not. Just listening to Popular Songs and, guess what? It's really good, like a Yo La Tengo album.

The idea of a 45 minute YLT album appeals.

"Ohm" is terrific, and "Paddle Forward" not far behind. The rest is boilerplate.

agreed, a single slab of vinyl would be welcome--as much as I've enjoyed their last couple I felt they could have used some trimming. Popular Songs was about 1/3 too long. (xpost)

God, I'm in awe at how many witty references to the band's back catalog Stuart Berman was able to shoehorn into that Pitchfork review.

Georgia Hubley's fuzz-pop standout "Paddle Forward" squeezes another drop of blood from "Sugarcube..."

And even in Fade's most sanguine moments, there's a sense of unease creeping into Yo La Tengo's little corner of the world.

It may not herald another big day coming, but Fade is a thoroughly immersive dusk-to-dawn soundtrack to a dark night's passing.

It would be hilarious if all reviews were written this way. "Now, I'm not saying Sonic Youth's new album is SCHIZOPHRENIC, but half of it sounds RATHER RIPPED from Branca while the other half features JAMS that RUN FREE..."

Sorry, I'm in a bad mood.

Hahaha

I've thought I was done with YLT for a long time (assumed all their output was now pleasant and forgettable) but have to admit to liking Ohm a bit. First Bowie, now Yo La Tengo... Next I guess I have to go nuts over a Big Black reunion single?

i think they have lost the marbles. they used to be my favourite band but they do not evolve in a good way anymore. it sounds all so wishy-washy, so unfocused and fuzzy. no tunes anymore. totally exchangeable. uninteresting and superfluous. who needs this kind of lame indie rock of a band which is just a sad shadow of what it used to be. they have become crap. the last good album is already ten years old, aftr summer sun they did some decent soundtracks and some good classics murdering but the real albums were rubbish.

^^^ sadly otm

haha, harsh! i'll be a dissenting voice: this album is awesome.

I'd argue the last time they sounded inspired was "And then nothing ..." They could have called it a day after that and I would have been fine with it. But nothing since then has been terrible, so it's sort of been like one long collection of perfectly fine leftovers from the vaults.

i think the problem is that in a sense their career was building to I Can Hear The Heart Beating, where they showed how they could turn everything under the sun in to Yo La Tengo. They're never going to top it, artistically or commercially, so while they've found little nooks and crannies since, they just don't have ambitions beyond More Soundscapes About Marriage & Simpsons (If Listen Hard For The Words). Their evolution pre-I Can Hear was unpredictable enough that this second half can't help but see a little attrition in the audience.