Yo La Tengo - Popular Songs

Pop veterans stretch out

During their 25-year career, Yo La Tengo have continually broadened their horizons, evolving from humble beginnings as a straight-up noisy indie-rock band into an outfit comfortable bridging multiple genres. 2006’s brilliantly-named I Am Not Afraid Of You & I Will Beat Your Ass epitomised this: brash pop mixing with horn-driven soul, trashy rock and eerie instrumentals.

Despite its similarly bold title, Popular Songs is a more subdued affair than its predecessor, but no less eclectic. Opener Here To Fall, for instance, is a fair approximation of what may have ensued had Jerry Garcia been commissioned to write a Bond song. Elsewhere, Avalon or Someone Very Similar is a woozy gem; Periodically Double Or Triple is a slice of laidback funk, while All Your Secrets swoons and shuffles like a lovesick, sweet-voiced Lambchop. Towards the end of the record, More Stars Than There Are In Heaven’s chugging guitars build into a nine-minute epic that completely immerses the listener. Contrastingly, The Fireside is an ambient, spacious near-instrumental that ends the album proper on a quiet, considered note.

Popular Songs is a subtle listen that, despite an unassuming first impression, reveals itself over time to be another quality effort from this prolific and consistent band.

5 stars 5 stars 5 stars 5 stars 5 stars

Matador | OLE 856-1

Reviewed by Jamie Atkins
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