TOP 100 ALBUMS EVAR: #95
Yo La Tengo: I Can Hear The Heart Beating As One (1997) <Matador>
Genre: Indie Rock
Nationality: USA (Hoboken, New Jersey)
Yo La Tengo have never really committed to one sound. Almost every single album is different, many of which contain several different genre leaps themselves. This record, in my opinion, represents the best of almost every style the New Jersey collective have dabbled in. Songs range from fuzz induced pop punk (“Sugarcube,” “Little Honda”), Velvet Underground inspired noise jams (“Spec Bebop”), spacey aloof indie rock (“Moby Octopad,” “Autumn Sweater), and of course, delicatey crafted lo-fi pop (“Stockholm Syndrome,” “My Little Corner Of The World”). It’s an album of many faces, but the dynamic shifts work tremendously. It flows effortlessly from one style to the next, making an album of experimental waves that crush its listener with Sonic Youth worthy feedback, only to softly coo the listener back to serene contentment. If this isn’t the best Yo La Tengo record out there, then I obviously haven’t heard their best yet. Key Tracks: “Autumn Sweater,” “Stockholm Syndrome,” “Moby Octopad,” “Deeper Into Movies”
For Fans Of: Sonic Youth, The Velvet Underground, Stereolab, Guided By Voices
