Yo La Tengo's I Am Not Afraid of You and I Will Beat Your Ass

Yo La Tengo are one of indie rock's longest lasting legacies. Fronted by hubby and wife team Ira Kaplan and Georgia Hubley, they've been recording variously fuzzy, intricate, folksy, experimental, singable, not singable, joyous and eerie rock songs since 1984. Their newest effort, I Am Not Afraid of You and I Will Beat Your Ass is not a revolution of their usual sound -- but it's a solid, interesting, enjoyable offering from a band who's given us many such offerings since the days of Reagan.

It Just Might Kick

I Am Not Afraid of You and I Will Beat Your Ass is eclectic. At least that's one way of putting it. Pulling from every era, and nearly every sound, of their 20 year career (which means nearly every era and nearly every sound of contemporary indie rock), Tengo's newest is something of an experiment in juxtaposition. The sprawling “Pass the Hatchet, I Think I’m Goodkind” may be a hypnotic fuzz track that lilts and circles for almost 11 minutes, but “Beanbag Chair,” which follows, is a pop tune, with a singable melody and a jumpy piano rhythm.

And this goes on. There is noise rock with "The Story of Yo La Tengo," there is softish folk with "The Weakest Part" -- but no matter what there is, there is always the deft touch and keen ear of Yo La Tengo, a band that has never listened to what's popular and consequently given us a lot of great (read: challenging, different, moving) tunes to listen to.

This album may not be their freshest or most original, but it is vintage Yo La Tengo. And a whole lot of it. (77 minutes to be exact.)

Highlight

It's hard to pick a favorite when an album is as sprawling, dense and various as I Am Not Afraid of You and I Will Beat Your Ass. However, “I Feel Like Going Home,” a straightforward ballad featuring Georgia's warm vocals over a wandering piano and strings is the kind of tune you could return to in a time of need. And what more can an album offer you than such a song? (A handful of other such tracks retrofitted for other such moods? Perhaps, perhaps.)

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