Tracklist: 1. Everyday
2. Our Way To Fall
3. Saturday
4. Let's Save Tony Orlando's House
5. Last Days Of Disco
6. The Crying Of Lot G
7. You Can Have It All
8. Tears Are In Your Eyes
9. Cherry Chapstick
10. From Black To Blue
11. Madeline
12. Tired Hippo
13. Night Falls On Hoboken
Being a fairly laid-back and lazy person it’s not very surprising that Yo La Tengo are one of my favorite bands. The trios knack for creating a calm, late-night atmosphere is just as effective as is was on I Can Hear the Heart Beating as One aka Yo La Tengo’s masterpiece. Believe it or not Ira Kaplan and co. create an even more subdued and solemn album with And Then Nothing Turned Itself Inside Out.
The aspect that separates And Then Nothing Turned Itself Inside Out from other Yo La Tengo releases is that it hints towards a much more ambient and synth driven sound. “Tears Are in Your Eyes”only consists of a few lonesome piano chords while “Saturday” is propelled by funky electronic effects and smooth percussion work. Everything works so well because Yo La Tengo can create such a somber atmosphere using minimal instrumentation. “The Crying of Lot G” shows off its beauty with delicate acoustic strums, it’s built off of simple guitar scales yet it is still able to create an intricate and laid-back sound.
It’s safe to say that at least 80% of And Then Nothing Turned Itself Inside Out is on the melancholy, depressing side. Fortunately the other 20% is filled sugary pop hooks and uplifting lyrics ,something that Yo La Tengo were known for during their early years in the late 80's. “Cherry Chapstick” sounds like a combination of Dinosaur Jr. and Beach Boys, musically the song is extremely catchy while containing a hard rocking edge. The balance between uplifting pop tunes and depressing ambience is nearly perfect. Ira Kaplan’s production is amongst the best that I’ve ever heard as he’s able to capture every subtle effect in order to create a crystal clear sound that vividly represents the cold, solemn atmosphere that the album contains.
And Then Nothing Turned Itself Inside Out is an ideal album to chill out to as it’s filled with laid-back bass-lines, solemn electronic noodling, and Ira Kaplan’s soothing vocals. The beautiful production accompanies the music flawlessly is really the aspect that makes And Then Nothing Turned Itself Inside Out such a tranquil listen. Although the album does get taxing towards the end (it’s 77:15 minutes long for christ sakes ) Yo La Tengo create yet another excellent album that’s even more bass-drive and lo-key then I Can Hear the Heart Beating As One.
I really like I Can Hear the Heart and I Am Not Afraid of You, even though they're almost too long. What would you guys reccomend next?
Good review Zebra.
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