New Yo La Tengo

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.

also, while every later album sounds a little better every time i get around to revisiting it, they really have lost the knack for bubblegum hooks, or don't care about throwing them in

yeah, i am liking this a lot too. after one spin, i'm getting the vibe of a jammy, gauzier, bit more dynamic "Summer Sun". and i love "Summer Sun". on first impression, i am liking it a bit less than Popular Songs, which was much stronger than "I Am Not Afraid..." IMO.

i do miss the requisite electric gtr skronk workout. maybe that's the 11-minute bonus download.

never liked summer sun much (although i loved the plugged-in single version of 'today is the day') but there are always bits in the more recent records that i can get into e.g. 'pass the hatchet'.

i mean yeah they're not going to top painless-through-i can hear the heart but i'll still look forward to new things as long as they don't get too quiet.

they held me through I Am Not Afraid Of Kicking Your Ass For Not Loving Our Albums -- an attempt to do an I Can Feel The Heart sequel -- but I don't love them like a lot of you do, so now that I have to concentrate on filigrees instead of hooks it's like why boher.

"Painful" and "Fakebook" and "And Then Nothing ..." are the only three I absolutely love. "I Can Hear the Heart" and "May I Sing With Me" I pull out occasionally. The rest I don't dig too much as albums, though there's always a song or two.

Starting with May I Sing With Me each record was, "Holy shit...they topped themselves?!"

But things started to level off around I Can Hear The Heart, and Summer Sun made me angry. I'd never been more disappointed in a record by a favorite band. I couldn't even bear to listen to it in one sitting; I had to spread it out over two days. I never heard anything after that until Stupid Things, which is OK, but not enough to make me think they'll be back to their frighteningly risk-taking ways anytime soon.

For me, what hurts most is admitting that I now dread coming across them live. Which is such a weird feeling for a band I generally have no problem with. I just can't take it.