There Is No Cat

Album of the Year?

I know it’s only August, but I think I may have found my album of the year. Yo La Tengo’s I Am Not Afraid Of You And I Will Beat Your Ass is their best album in a while, maybe since 1995’s Electr-O-Pura (which is not to say that their most recent albums were bad, just that this one is exceptionally good). It displays the whole range of YLTmusik, from the hushed late night near whispers of "The Race Is On Again", through the bouncy pop stylings of "Beanbag Chair" to the 10+ minute long guitar freakouts that bookend the album, "Pass The Hatchet, I Think I’m Goodkind" and "The Story of Yo La Tengo". It blows me away that 21 years after releasing their first single, not only have they not jumped the shark (most bands that have been around this long have by now), they’re releasing one of the best albums of their career.

"But wait a minute, Ralph," you say. "That album isn’t supposed to be out for another two weeks!" True as far as it goes. But if you pre-order the album from one of a select number of fine independent music emporia (as detailed on the album’s web site), you’ll get access to the I Am Not Afraid Of You And I Will Beat Your Ass Season Pass, which includes the ability to listen to the album streaming over the tubes of the Internets. They’ll also be posting a couple of MP3s that won’t be available elsewhere. Not sure what those are yet, but they’ll be posted over the next two weeks.

You’re going to get the album anyway; you might as well get it early. Anyone can download MP3s of the first two songs from the album, the aforementioned "Pass The Hatchet, I Think I’m Goodkind" and "Beanbag Chair", from the band’s web site.

Tags: I Am Not Afraid Of You And I Will Beat Your Ass music cd album yo la tengo

Posted at 11:43 AM