Yo La Tengo - Summer Sun
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Free Music Notes for Summer Sun
Free Music Review: My Summer Sun
Hit: 4 Stars
While labeled by most as a mediocre follow-up to an also mediocre release by a once-great, I was not to be turned away. I placed my order and patiently waited. I'll admit, I hadn't been following every Yo La Tengo release, and while I had their previous album my teeth were cut on oldies such as "New Wave Hot Dogs" and "May I Sing With Me". This album quickly embedded itself into the dark crevices of my hippocampus, sitting alongside other summer releases of that year ( somehow I'll always hear the beginning of "Radical Adults Lick Godhead Style" by Sonic Youth begin right after "Summer of the Shark" in the asylum of my mind ). But the months passed, the newness wore, and I would probably have rated this album as good, if slightly forgettable. Then we were lucky enough in Jacksonville to have Yo La come through and play for the first time in like 10 years. The show was interesting, in an all seated theatre. But they performed nearly every song on this album, regardless of demand for nostalgic classics. Powerful, that show has stayed with me. It made songs like "Today is the Day", "Lets Be Still" and the magnificent "Take Care" take corporeal form, and now I listen to the CD with new ears, understanding new depths. The personalities of the players shine through, like Ira's lyrical novocain on "Little Eyes" and Georgia's smarmy keyboarding on "Georga vs. Yo La Tengo". Maybe its just my perception but this album is astounding, and a step forward for the `Tengo if you ask me, not some run of the mill release from an inert has been as others might lead you to believe.
Free Music Review: The Living is Easy
Hit: 4 Stars
Drone rock legends Yo La Tengo return with their um-teenth album. Let me confess before I get 'called out' that this is the first Yo La Tengo album I've ever bought. For shame! I have my reasons, but I will save them. I'll keep this short, since you may know more about Yo La Tengo than me. I'll tell you what I know about this album.The band's sense of humor is evident when you put the CD in your player, and look at the back of the album. "Track one: Beach Party Tonight. Oh, that should be a light, poppy, little summer ditty. Wait, when's it going to pick up?" And you keep listening; it sounds more like an intro, which it pretty much it is.
If you make it to the end of track one, by listening to it or skipping it altogether, you will be rewarded with a light, subtle, simple bit of lo-fidelity charm. "Little Eyes," a warm and fuzzy pop number, was the first track I heard from "Summer Sun" and I felt like it was reason enough to buy it.
I only had to listen once to get hooked to the entire album. From the samba-tinted sound of "Season of the Shark" to the minimalist "Nothing but You and Me," this album does it all. That is, it does it all but get loud. But, this is a summer album. Remember, chill out, drink beer, and listen to this.
Free Music Review: nothing formulatic about it
Hit: 5 Stars
I gotta confess that it doesn't surprise me people have decided this is The Decline of Yo La Tengo since it rolls back the guitars and the lyrics are more direct. I saw the same exact thing happen with the last two R.E.M. albums. The common logic seems to be that neither band is being true to its original eclectic vision (not that R.E.M. was ever half as eclectic as YLT, wonderful as both bands may be).My answer is -- what vision? If we're going to hurl these accusations, what is it exactly that we're expecting? If "Let's Be Still" and "Today is the Day" and "Nothing But You and Me" are being seen as steps backward, and a return to feedback-laden pop bliss wouldn't be, then I'd better just give up on understanding popular music right now.
By the way, this album IS pop bliss, start to finish. I loved the band's older records too, every one of 'em, although May I Sing with Me is my least favorite by quite a margin, but if you want to hear that stuff, it's not like they're confiscating your copies. I wouldn't necessarily recommend "Summer Sun" as a first purchase - go with "Fakebook," "I Can Hear the Heart Beating As One," or their masterpiece IMO, "And Then Nothing Turned Itself Inside Out" - but it does show off the fact that intricate, warm pop music didn't die with the Beach Boys.
In a sense, of course, whether or not you may like this could have something to do with your usual taste in music. It really does lack any rock & roll intensity, making it unique in that regard aside from "Fakebook," and the reason "May I Sing with Me" didn't appeal to me was the fact that it was basically one raveup after another. So if you don't run off in terror at the notion of quiet music, "Summer Sun" may well be the best album since... well, the last Yo La Tengo record.
n.
Free Music Review: What have you done with the real Yo La Tengo?
Hit: 1 Stars
A decade ago, YLT were crafting dense, textured, genius guitar rock built on layers of melodic feedback, elegant composition, and sweet (but dark) lyrics and vocals. This CD (and the last one, for the most part) sounds like they have been heavily sedated and/or hijacked by the band Luna (although without Luna's wit). The lightweight guitar strumming and breezy vocals on display here amounts to perhaps the most precipitious decline in any rock band since... well, since forever, as far as I can tell. Please, please, bring back the brilliant musicians who wrote Ride the Tiger, Painful, May I Sing With Me, and other stand-outs of intelligent rock music.Free Music Review: Tranquil Jubilation
Hit: 5 Stars
To be quite frank, "Summer Sun" sounds like nothing I've ever heard. Words that come to mind for a description include: fresh, relaxing, catchy, dreamy, etc. I would maybe start off with track 7 for openers..."baby elephant" provides the perfect taste of what this album is all about. Having never been exposed to Yo La Tengo, I'm suddenly all about them, & definitely looking forward to a live show in the D.C. area!