Yo La Tengo 'This Stupid World' ripples with inspiration and self-discovery | review by
. Think about that: If a band had been around that long by 1983, the year Georgia Hubley and Ira Kaplan first performed together as Georgia and Those Guys, it would have formed during World War II.
If critics seem to harp on about Yo La Tengo’s longevity, it’s because it signifies a kind of genetic mutation; bands of this age are not supposed to be still making albums this good. And, the Hoboken trio’s first proper full-length in five years , is very good indeed, a dreamy and reflective song cycle that welcomes us into Yo La Tengo’s private world while leaving ample mysteries unexplained and secrets untold.bristles with a sense of uneasy quiet as the world outside rages and burns.
When a veteran band wishes to stay relevant, they’ll often hire a name producer, or rope in some trendy guest stars. But YLT has no interest in parading around Phoebe Bridgers for Gen-Z tokens. They have done much the opposite. They recorded, produced, and mixedIn this hermetic bubble, the musicians trade instruments and vocals with ease. The record ripples with a sense of self-discovery. All three band members sing lead within the first four songs.
“Tonight’s Episode,” sung by McNew, is an odder creature than the bassist’s previous turns behind the mic . Over a burbling cauldron of guitar feedback and krautrock drums, McNew talk-sings his way through a list of yo-yo tricks. And “Aselestine,” sung by Georgia Hubley, is downright gorgeous, a dreamy ballad that summons the ache of anticipatory grief: “The clock won’t tick/I can’t predict.
, the record saves the expansive drones for last. “Miles Away” is an ethereal and impressionistic glacier of sound; Hubley’s lovely vocals ripple over a dubby drum pattern that grows more and more remote. The title track is a monochrome drone rocker, plodding along like some damagedAs the song sputters to an end, the trio repeats the titular refrain like a mantra: “This stupid world/It’s killing me/This stupid world/Is all we have.” Maybe that’s what passes for optimism these days.
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