Yo La Tengo
"And Then Nothing Turned Itself Inside-Out"
(Matador)
I have one thing to say about Hoboken's favorite band, Yo La Tengo. How do they do it? In the course of fifteen years, ten albums, a bunch of CD singles and various EPs, Yo La Tengo has never lost their way. Not bad for a humble little group that first took its name from the exuberant shout of a Hispanic outfielder, huh? From the velvet-soft pop balladry (with a big nod towards Lou Reed and the Velvet Underground) to the band's guitar-based drone/feedback excursions into pure sound (ditto), Yo La Tengo occasionally shifts focus but always hits its target dead on. While things have gotten smoother in general and their recent discs all have a fairly luscious studio sheen, guitarist/singer Ira Kaplan and drummer/singer Georgia Hubley are still the most accomplished husband/wife team in rock. Certainly Kaplan's guitar vocabulary is better than ever with a full grasp on crunching indie-rock/garage-noise, as well knowing exactly how and when to execute multiple layers of ambient-dream-pop replete with a hushed vocal croon. Having two distinctly different singers affords the band a wide variety of sounds, but things always end up sounding like Yo La Tengo. Is there a better, more enduring indie-guitar band in America today? Who cares, Yo La Tengo is on top of their game and still making infectious records.
by Mitch Myers
copyright 1999 New City Communications, Inc.