In nearly four decades, New Jersey’s Yo La Tengo have never taken a real break, with the smallest gap between records being a measly four years. Alongside their studio albums, the group has also written soundtracks for Jean Painlevé’s underwater documentaries, Kelly Reichardt’s masterful Old Joy, and the Don DeLillo-penned Game 6, as well as being heavily featured in the films of Hal Hartley. All that work has resulted in Yo La Tengo developing a moderate (in relation to peers such as Pavement or Sonic Youth) but engaged and dedicated following; through experimentation and a dedication to the production of fascinating covers, they have become more than just your average indie rock band. This Stupid World marks the trio’s seventeenth studio album, and finds them continuing in their traditional style, which carefully oscillates between the beautifully delicate and energetically noisy.
Published as part of InRO Weekly — Volume 1, Issue 7.
