Review: Yo La Tengo

Yo La Tengo
“Summer Sun”
(Matador)

It seems that with each album they release, Yo La Tengo always appear to raise the bar up a notch when it comes to sonic texture and general coolness. On their latest release “Summer Sun” the Hoboken, New Jersey trio make a concerted effort to remain laid back and nebulous in their mostly lethargic masterpiece.

Though it pails slightly in comparison to their prior album “And The Nothing Turned Itself Inside Out”, the record carries on Yo La Tengo’s special brand of punk meets folk music and indie rock at a Knicks game.

The lush instrumentation of the album’s opening track “Beach Party Tonight”, lays the seed for what would seem to be a concept album. However through clever lyrics and their pre-geriatric and very pop friendly melodies, the band manages to steer clear of anything too obvious and pronounced.
With heavy nuances of jazz and contemporary folk music laced throughout the album, Yo La Tengo have made yet another sound recording with “Summer Sun”.

“Little Eyes” is a jazzy little number that’ll bring a smile to your Aunt’s face, while at the same time track four entitled “Season of the Shark” would seem to some like elevator music in its purest state.
Altogether “Summer Sun” doesn’t seem to raise the bar of sonic proportions as their previous albums have. What ‘Summer Sun” is though, is yet another brilliantly delicate album by one of America’s most important and overlooked bands.