Yo La Tengo - I Am Not Afraid Of You...

Yo La Tengo has been pumping out quality material for several years now and although they may not have too many surprises up their sleeves anymore, they’ve never been a band to shy away from variety. Their latest, the hilariously titled “I Am Not Afraid Of You And I Will Beat Your Ass” is another off-kilter stew of eclecticity, where almost every song could’ve been released by a different artist.

“Pass The Hatchet, I Think I’m Goodkind” is a 10 minute jam of Deadhead proportion. “Mr. Tough” sounds like Vultures-era Beck, singing in a Prince-like falsetto, with perhaps a couple of Memphis horns along for the ride. “Black Flowers” sounds a little bit like Ray Davies on vocals, with maybe U2 providing instrumentation. Byrds-ish psychedelia prevails on “The Race Is On Again” and “Watch Out For Me Ronnie” throws a little rockabilly surf into the mix. Stir in a few dashes of jazz, country and shoegaze, and you’ve got more variety than the average “Now That’s What I Call Music” compilation.

Those who have not yet hitched a ride along the YLT journey will still probably enjoy a few of the songs here. And longtime fans will also enjoy this CD as much as the others.

Downloads:

Pass The Hatchet, I Think I'm Goodkind mp3

Beanbag Chair mp3

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Purchase the new CD here.