by Sarah Samson
Yo La Tengo, long-time veterans of indie music, delivers a refreshing performance with their latest EP, The Bunker Sessions, which was released last November. Forming in 1984 in Hoboken, NJ, the band has had a permanent line-up since 1992 with Ira Kaplan, Georgia Hubley, and James McNew. The new EP features live recordings from their most recent record, This Stupid World, as well as their old beloved track, “Stockholm Syndrome,” off their eigth album, I Can Hear The Heart Beating As One.
On The Bunker Session, recorded in Brooklyn, New York, at the Bunker Studio, the band combines the raw, loud, and mature sound Yo La Tengo has had for decades with new nuances. While each song remains true to its roots, this version offers a reimagined and new perspective from the band. All the tracks have tight-rhythmic performances from Hubley and McNew, while Kaplan brings to life the beautiful soundscape Yo La Tengo has delivered for years with overwhelming guitars that swell in your ears. Songs like “Stockholm Syndrome” and “Fall Out” are a great example, but the band come back down to their calmer side on songs like “Aselestine” and “Apology Letter”.
The sound of “Stockholm Syndrome” and “Fall Out” are what many listeners expected from Yo La Tengo: crunchy and loud guitars, punchy bass, and warm drums, with Kaplan’s vocals scattered throughout. On The Bunker Sessions, we hear “Fall Out” brought to new life with a fuzzier guitar blaring in the first ten seconds of the song. “Stockholm Syndrome” stays true to its roots of being a calmer song until the guitar solo as Kaplan’s guitar become messier and noisier. We hear the other side of Yo La Tengo with the “Aselestine,” “Apology Letter,” and “Sinatra Drive Breakdown,” a softer side of the group showing how dynamic the band is. On “Asselstine,” Hubley’s soft and airy voice pasted in our ears, stripped back from noisy guitars and replaced with acoustics and drum brushes, but with an alternative guitar solo on this EP from the album version.