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la Tengo In1986, New Jersey's Yo La Tengo released their first album, Ride the Tiger. It's twenty years later, and the band has released 10 proper albums in addition to soundtracks and a covers album. It's rare that a band lasts this long. What's even rarer is that a band releases its best album in its twentieth year of existence. But that is the case with Yo La Tengo and I Am Not Afraid of You And I Will Beat Your Ass. It is an absolute compositional masterpiece that encompasses every great idea the band has ever had, while going places that they've never gone before. There's fuzzed-out shoegazing, but there's also '60s pop, with full orchestration. It's as though The Kinks and Sonic Youth got together to create their own Sgt. Pepper, but forget about comparisons to other bands and albums—this is Yo La Tengo, and this is their moment to shine. standout tracks: "Black Flowers," "Beanbag Chair" and "The Weakest Part" |