via//chicago

np: "More Stars Than There Are in Heaven" - Yo La Tengo

At this point it seems Yo La Tengo have settled into a steady groove of releasing albums that are good enough, but aren't quite as mind-blowingly awesome as this trio can be. That is, as good as the band was back in the 1990s. I mean, look at that run of albums from 1993-2000:

Painful (1993)
Electr-O-Pura (1995)
I Can Hear the Heart Beating As One (1997)
And Then Nothing Turned Itself Inside-Out (2000)

On just about any given day I could argue any one of the four as my favorite YLT album of all-time. It's a pretty noteworthy run of albums, one that cemented them as one of the leading lights of indie rock. Unfortunately the band hasn't quite scaled the same heights since. Both 2003's Summer Sun and 2006's I Am Not Afraid of You and I Will Beat Your Ass were frustratingly inconsistent, the latter ending up the stronger of the pair by far. Each had moments and the tour around IANAOYAIWBYA was wonderful, but I never find myself reaching back for either very often.

So I was disappointed when this year's Popular Songs ended up being just as frustrating - albeit for a slightly different reason this time around. Song for song, this is probably the band's best long-player since 2000, but is crippled by a horrible running order. It was a bad idea to dump all three of the 10 minute plus tracks at the ass end of the album, wearing out attention spans and detracting from three strong compositions. By the time you reach the 16 minute closer, "And the Glitter is Gone", it becomes a downright challenge to finish things. I think it would have made for a much better flow and more enjoyable listening experience to juggle these tracks with the poppier front section. When the songs come up on shuffle, I enjoy most of them, but sitting through the album is a chore. I don't think this is a problem of an overlong run time either, because ATNTIIO ran five minutes longer and never felt like it was overstaying its welcome.

At any rate, Popular Songs gives us another batch of quality tunes, just a shame that the album isn't all it could be. I highly recommend you check out their set on Pitchfork.tv's Don't Look Down though, really makes these songs sound great.