Yo La Tengo – Stuff Like That There

Yo La Tengo’s sound has always been defined by the feelings they evoke: intimacy. Wistful sighs. Warmth. This is a quieter, less action-packed affair than some of their fuzzier, more experimental records, but the band feels refreshed thanks to founding guitarist Dave Schramm’s return to the fold, adding his Duane Eddy twang to some countrified shuffles.

As with 1990’s Fakebook, Stuff Like That There is largely comprised of covers (Hank Williams, The Parliaments, etc), reworkings of old favourites (an amiable strum through 1997’s Deeper into Movies) and a handful of new ‘uns. It's pleasantly cohesive overall, but a (perhaps unavoidable) odds’n’sods vibe makes this feel somewhat less essential than some of their more expansive projects. Still, when they can whisper Friday I’m In Love so beautifully, or channel doo-wop as charmingly as they do on The Cosmic Rays’ Somebody’s In Love, it’s impossible not to feel allured by YLT’s blissful comfort zone. [Will Fitzpatrick]