CD: Yo La Tengo - I Am Not Afraid Of You And I Will Beat Your Ass

Artist: Yo La Tengo
Title: I am Not Afraid Of You And I Will Beat Your Ass
Label: Matador Records
Release: September 12, 2006
Buy this album: Amazon | Insound

Review: Though Yo La Tengo was the subject of my favorite Onion article of all time and though their album, Electr-O-Pura is one of my favorite indie rock albums of the last fifteen years, I wouldn't consider myself a loyal fan of this ubiquitously-dubbed amazing band. The eclecticism that the band infuses into every album they have ever put out does nothing but spawn respect within me, yet I often find myself reaching for other similar (some of which are faithful followers) bands' releases when in a record store. Every so often, however, I like to return to Yo La Tengo to check in and see what they are up to. Their newest album, I Am Not Afraid Of You And I Will Beat Your Ass is a reminder why I should never leave in the first place.

The opening track, "Pass The Hatchet, I Think I'm Goodkind," sounds as if Thurston Moore dropped old sheet music from Washing Machine at this year's Lollapalooza and Ira Kaplan happened upon it at the after party. Despite falling into an indie rock dissonant groove that thousands of Yo La Tengo fans have heard before, the nearly eleven minute song realizes the first half of the album's title nicely, proving that Ira, James and Georgia have nothing to prove at all. As for the second half of the title, your expectations are 'your ass.'

One would expect a band that has been playing together for over twenty years to falter in the ingenuity department. Even with the diverse and comforting eclecticism of Beat Your Ass, there isn't necessarily anything new or groundbreaking in this release.

The second track, 'Beanbag Chair,' turns 180 on the first by departing from the Sonic Youth playbook and abandoning the cacophonous guitar fuzz and dirty beat for a pop melody light and bouncy. The song reads like a revelatory tale of someone realizing they have become too complacent in life. It is the lyric, "making misery out of fun" that may sum up the strength of this record. Almost as if Yo La Tengo is offering a diagnosis of the state of indy rock, it is with the second song that the listener once again understands the power of music and the album as an art form. The beat down comes when you realize that the one thing this band has not lost sight of is the joy that creating chock-full records of solid genre-bouncing songs provides.

Throughout the rest of Beat Your Ass, in all of its catchy and mellow demeanor, it becomes apparent that Yo La Tengo is still worthy of the meaning of their name. Without resorting to gimmickry, they most certainly still "have it."

Employing the subtle use of strings and a horn section on tracks such as "Black Flowers" and "Mr. Tough" takes the expected musical equation and turns it fleshy and unpredictable. The piano-led instrumental breather of a track, 'Daphnia' displays what the trio can do , given time alone to explore pattern and patience. Finishing the album, 'The Story Of Yo La Tengo' is a layered crescendo of a song with fuzzy lyrics vaguely documenting the history of the band as if it were an epic western.

Where other modern rock bands may have achieved Godfather status by continually showing us how it is done, Yo La Tengo is more of the single parent of a good friend. They have their shit in order and know what they have to do to take care of us, but they also remember that its okay to let loose every once in a while and have fun. Yo La Tengo recreates their identity several times per album, but more importantly, they remind us that it is still okay to love what you do, no matter how long you've been doing it.

Rating: 4.5 / 5

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