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Yo La Tengo
I am Not Afraid of You & I Will Beat Your Ass
(Matador/Beggars)
Full points to Yo La Tengo for coining the coolest album title of the year. And extra points to the Hoboken indie-rock gods for coining the perfect title for their umpteenth disc.
Why is I am Not Afraid of You and I Will Beat Your Ass so perfect? Because it's true -- at least the first four words.
On this freewheeling 77-minute epic, YLT prove once again they are musically fearless. They are unafraid to kick off with a 10-minute low-rock blast of majestic neo-psychedelic guitar abuse.
And they are unafraid to follow that up with a set that ping-pongs between sounds and styles -- from bouncy piano-pop to jangly Byrds folk-rock, from atmospheric ballads to horn-dappled funk, from faux orch-pop to squiggly synth-rock, from jazzy waltzes to '60s garage, from delicately baroque instrumentals to pumping psychobilly, you'll find it all here, along with pretty much anything else they (or you) could imagine. Including another 11-minute noise-rock freakout to close the show.
No wonder this disc kicks butt. Don't be afraid.
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Track Listing:
1. Pass The Hatchet, I Think I'm Goodkind
2. Beanbag Chair
3. I Feel Like Going Home
4. Mr. Tough
5. Black Flowers
6. The Race Is On Again
7. The Room Got Heavy
8. Sometimes I Don't Get You
9. Daphnia
10. I Should Have Known Better
11. Watch Out For Me Ronnie
12. The Weakest Part
13. Song For Mahila
14. Point And Shoot
15. The Story Of Yo La Tengo