Yo La Tengo
I’m Not Afraid of You and I Will Beat Your Ass
Matador Records

For the last 10 years or so, Yo La Tengo has been releasing albums that are the textbook definition of a ‘mixed bag’. On the one hand, you get instant classics like “Sugarcube” from I Can Feel The Heart Beating As One or their smart take on “You Can Have It All” from 2000′s And Nothing Turned Itself Inside Out right next to extended jam songs, drone-y meanderings with no apparent point or end in sight, and experiments in incorporating the instrumentation and atmosphere of some of their influences that fall quickly flat.

Despite having carrying their best album title in years, YLT’s new album is no exception to the rule. Although it contains some of their best songwriting since I Can Feel The Heart…, it is also a longwinded and messy work that has moments of sheer bliss amidst those that will have you quickly reaching for the skip button on your CD player.

One immediately striking aspect of this is how many of the songs sound as if they were originally conceived on the piano, rather than Ira Kaplan’s beloved guitar. There have been songs in the repertoire that feature some lovely keyboard work, but none that have been as immediate as the sadly beautiful “I Feel Like Going Home” (highlighting some of Georgia Hubley’s best vocal work as well) and the Daniel Johnston-esque “Black Flowers” (smartly accompanied by an oboe and some absolutely jaw-dropping string work).

It is the first 1/3 of the album (including the aforementioned tracks, the 10 minute plus guitar epic, “Pass The Hatchet, I Think I’m Goodkind” and the throwaway goof that is “Mr. Tough”) that set up I Am Not Afraid of You… for greatness. But from the seventh track on, the album goes nowhere fast. Starting with the conga-driven psychedelia of “The Room Got Heavy”, the songs start to sound more and more thrown together as if they were conceived solely in the studio. This would make sense considering the ridiculous schedule the trio keeps but it renders songs like the absolutely silly “Watch Out For Me Ronnie” (a rockabilly garage rave-up) and the Stereolab meets Booker T. and the MGs drone-rock of “Point and Shoot” as half-hearted and incomplete exercises.

There’s part of me that wants to forgive all of these missteps seeing as the band is in the middle of its 20th year of existence and they do have some wonderful albums and songs in their vast catalog. But, the fact is that the album sounds like the group feels it can do no wrong and sounds like they tossed every minute of the recording sessions on to the finished product. To these ears, YLT could have easily excised half of the songs on it and made a cleaner and much more coherent album.

MP3s
Beanbag Chair
Pass the Hatchet, I Think I’m Goodkind

Websites
http://www.yolatengo.com
http://www.matadorrecords.com