I’ve been a fan for almost twenty years so the feeling here is timorous at best. I’ve read plenty of reviews of this already. Most of them positive. One moron said the group had a predilection for the worst album titles ever. Shit, the title of this release is about the best thing going for it! If this were a collection of B sides or out takes, then I might understand it’s lack of organic flow and somewhat mediocre material. It’s not that what’s contained here is god awful, but it is hardly up to par with the feel of “Painful”, “Electro Pura” or the ever mellow (as well as my personal fave) “I Can Hear The Heart Beating As One”. I can’t comment on their last two studio records as I have not heard them. Suffice to say if they are anything like this one I must not have missed much. It’s nice to hear them experiment with different styles, but none of these excursions rate amid the classic YO LA TENGO some of us have come to expect. I don’t mind hearing this stuff as long it follows some solid Ira rock and Georgia ballads. Or solid Georgia rock and Ira ballads as the case may be.

Any rocking stuff here, besides the opening and closing tunes, is the band aping other styles except their own. “Watch Out For Me Ronnie” is perhaps the most successful example of this. “Beanbag Chair” has bassist James McNew really stepping up to the plate with a killer walking pattern even though the song is fairly throwaway. The ballads here are worthwhile but none of them come close to say “Pablo and Andrea” off “Electro Pura” or “Damage” off “I Can Hear The Heart…” “Mr. Tough” is kind of fun. It got on my nerves at first by I have finally warmed up to it. Not that “The Race Is On” is a bad song, but why the fuck did they decide to fade it out when the guitar solo got going. This could have been the best guitar work on the record and it gets cut. Which brings us to the opening “Pass The Hatchet, I Think I’m Goodkind” and the closing “The Story Of Yo La Tengo”. These two examples of what this band excelled at in the past now come across as bloated and indolent. Writing one riff with two chords over the top of it and playing it over and over does not make a song. Now these “compositions” would fare way better if they were backing up other great rock tunage, but this release is exceedingly slim in that department. On top of that the guitar skronk within lacks serious passion and precision.

And while we are on the subject of guitar, Ira Kaplan should probably have his confiscated at this point. I can remember a time when his solos were at least somewhat melodic, thematic, dynamic and yes, hellaciously noisy. He presented himself to possess the potential for greatness and now his solos are nothing but noise and pointless note missing noodle. He needs to get with NELS CLINE, practice a lot more and learn some theory or something. On “Pass The Hatchet…” he almost comes up with some inspired lead work, but he sounds too much like he’s fumbling around to find the notes. He should have practiced it more before recording it. Although his playing had hardly progressed too technically from “President Yo La Tengo” to “I Can Hear…”, at least there was a passion and some creativity to go along with it that intensified from each subsequent album that took the music up a notch each time. That is not happening here with this half assed slop at all. This is like several big steps backward in my book. What a total fucking waste!

“I’m Not Afraid Of You..” may be slightly worth a listen even though none of it’s material rates up there with tried and true classics such as “Blue Line Swinger”, “We’re An American Band”, “Flying Lesson”, “My Heart’s Reflection”, “Autumn Sweater”, etc. After listening to it like four or five times now I can honestly relay that the natural chemistry, originality, and fervor for solid songwriting is just scarcely there this time around. Don’t wish to forgo my love for this combo, but this is barely cutting it.

- Herring

OFFICIAL SITE: www.yolatengo.com

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