Yo La Tengo - 'Summer Sun' (Matador)
4/5
By: Thomas Hannan
This is a rare and beautiful thing - an album recorded entirely in whispers. Definitely a record you'll want to pump up the volume on, but not in a rebellious, annoy-your-neighbour kind of fashion... It's just so very, very quiet... So much so that however much you'll love it, you won't in any way feel the urge to shout its glory from the rooftops. That's not really in keeping. You won't even talk about it with fellow enthusiasts. You'll pass a copy to your friend under a table, a wink, a smile, and that's enough. But please - keep it down, won't you?
Frankly, 'Summer Sun' is about as soft and comforting as music gets, but also bafflingly sophisticated with it. If you ever thought that intelligent music had to be loud and abrasive to be really impressive, then here's ample evidence to the contrary. The name of the game here is texture. Thirteen songs with layer upon layer of subtle sounds that still sound deceptively as if there's actually very little going on. There, ladies and gentlemen, lies the genius of Yo La Tengo.
Over their eleven album career, they have been known to dabble in the noisier side of alternative rock from time to time, but - now - they've changed the game somewhat. For once, this is an experimental album that finds the band pushing themselves to new extremes of creativity, but without ever alienating the audience. If anything, 'Summer Sun' is an incredibly accessible record. A new favourite trick seems to be decorating swooping, delicate sound with the faintest of hints at the overall melody, pulled off most successfully on a gorgeous 'Today Is The Day'. It's almost as if you're left to fill in your own gaps, a quality that means 'Summer Sun' is an album you can get thoroughly lost in, and savour every gently pulsating minute.
Fear not however, as amidst all this innovation is still a band who can write some decent tunes. Early highlight 'Season Of The Shark' acts like a wiser sibling to Pavement's 'Range Life', whereas on the likes of 'How To Make A Baby Elephant Float', they continue the long running battle with Low for that coveted kings of slo-core crown. It only lets itself down on a few minor counts. As gorgeous as the unhurried nature of all this is, there are times when you want a record to make you feel out of breath. Instead, this one just makes you feel as if you're repeatedly filling your lungs with some very fresh air. 'Georgia Vs. Yo La Tengo' ups the pace somewhat, but if connected to some kind of musical running machine, even this would only be flicking the switch from 'stroll' to 'walk'.
But what the hell, no offence, but chances are you don't get out enough anyway. Yo La Tengo are simply taking their time enjoying the surroundings they're rightly proud to have created. Sure, occasionally they can indulge in them a little too much (there's simply no need for 'Let's Be Still' to go on for a mammoth ten minutes), but when they've given us so much to delve into, we can allow them that at least.
'Summer Sun' is the musical equivalent of a warm blanket, a kiss on the forehead from alternative-rock. It's common knowledge that the best gifts can come in the smallest packages. But here's news for you - the best music can sometimes be the quietest, too.
Artists in this article: Yo La Tengo
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