I Can Hear the Heart Beating as One, Yo La Tengo, 1997, 1:07
★ ★ ☆ ☆ ☆
Now, Yo La Tengo isn't always my personal cup of tea. My tastes run more toward the literate muscular folk or punk than fuzzy indie pop. However, I generally admire their albums and their musicianship. This album, however, just doesn't do it for me. Ethereal, delicate, skillful, buried muttered vocals always leave me wanted a bit more clarity. Those softly crooning vocals are just... very... very.... soporific to me. "Stockholm Syndrome" sounds like Uncle Tupelo. The only places that a song really breaks out are in the Beach Boys cover and "Sugar Cube." But "Spec Bebop" is a 10 1/2 minute long instrumental with feedback and fuzziness, ugh. They also cover "We're an American Band," turned unrecognizable in a cloud of fuzz. Favorite tracks: "Sugar Cube," "Little Honda," "Stockholm Syndrome."
