Yo La Tengo

"I'm Not Afraid of You and I WIll Beat Your Ass"
Yo La Tengo
Matador Records
2006

There are some bands out there that you hear about for the longest time but never take the chance to actually listen to. Indie darlings, Yo La Tengo, are that band. They've been making diverse, uber-literate rock and roll together for decades and they've built up quite the cult following. Their latest album, "I'm Not Afraid of You and I WIll Beat Your Ass," is a rock odyssee that entertains from the Zeppelin-esque first track, "Pass the Hatchet, I think I'm Goodkind," to the toungue-in-cheek final track, "The Story of Yo La Tango."

The band's core, Ira Kaplan, Georgia Hubley and James McNew, are consummate music geeks who bring the influence of decades of listening to each album. "I'm Not Afraid" is no exception. The album has ten minute jams and three minute pop songs. It has Robert Plant style whining and falsetto singing. It has throbbing bass lines and upbeat piano riffs. The instrumentation varies from song to song as well. Behind the standard drums, bass and guitars, there lie piano, brass, and string arrangements. All of this may give the impression that the album lacks some kind of identitiy and this may certainly be the case. The variety, though, ends up making the album that much more interesting. It has a song for every mood, from the melancholy ballad, "I Fell Like Going Home," to fun pop tracks like "Mr. Tough."

"I'm Not Afraid of You And I Will Beat Your Ass" is one of the most complete albums I have heard this year. It has beautifully layered sound, well-written lyrics, and great instumental arrangement. Everyone should own this album. $20 my highest rating.