by Ljubinko Zivkovic (@zivljub)
In most cases, when we discuss longevity of a band or an artist, we talk about years. On the other hand, Yo La Tengo, the core of Ira Kaplan, Georgia Hubley, and James McNew, have been around for decades, about four to be exact (in this formation or another). What is even rarer, they have hardly had a slip in their releases, or for that matter, their live shows. So, what makes this band tick so well, with their latest album, This Stupid World, being no exception in that respect?
Well, it could be the personal synergy between the members, particularly the husband/wife duo of Kaplan and Hubley. It could be the fact that they all possess an almost encyclopedic knowledge of every form of modern music there is (being among the most avid record collectors around), being able to reproduce it in any shape or form, and most importantly, sound different, and at the same time, sound definitely only like Yo La Tengo. With that, the nine songs, or to be more precise, compositions, on This Stupid World follow suit. They all sound definitely like Yo La Tengo, and basically like no other band around.
It could be a lot of guitar feedback, but guitar feedback that makes sense, exchanging audio space with Kaplan, Hubley, and McNew’s vocals, alone, as a duo, or any other combination. Fast-paced, slow-paced, droning, all coupled with lyrics that make full sense (“I see clearly how it ends / I see the moon rise as the sun descends”).
Yo La Tengo pick up any familiar musical elements, digest it, tear it up, and then pick up the torn pieces and re-arrange them in a manner only they are able to do. It could be the opener "Sinatra Drive Breakdown," "Until it Happens," or any other piece of music here, it comes, evolves in exactly the time it needs and then gives space to what follows next. Yo La Tengo style. Oh, and next time you visit a Yo La Tengo concert, don't expect to hear any of these songs/compositions in the form they appear here, but, maybe that will happen anyway,