AOTW: Yo La Tengo – “This Stupid World”

March 13th, 2023 by Liz Kosik

by Ameila Dunat ’25

Yo La Tengo – “This Stupid World”

Release: February 10, 2023

Rated: 8/10

RIYL: Pavement, Guided By Voices, Built to Spill, The Flaming Lips, Wilco, LCD Soundsystem

On February 10, 2023, Yo La Tengo released their seventeenth studio album (wow…), “This Stupid World.” Yo La Tengo is an American indie-rock formed in 1984, in Hoboken, New Jersey. Since 1992, the band members have included Ira Kaplan, Georgia Hubley, and James McNew. Although only 9 songs long, this self-produced album is the group’s first full-length album release in a few years. After listening, I found it to be perfectly mellow, consistent with their typical sound, and particularly reminiscent of their releases from the 1990s.

“Fallout” was undoubtedly my favorite song from the album- it was both catchy and lively. “Aselestine”, sung by drummer Georgia Hubley, was a close second, as it was a peaceful acoustic tune. “Brain Capers” had a fun beat, despite the distorted lyrics, and “Miles Away” only had a few lines of lyrics, but the melody itself was hypnotic and magical. “My Bloody Valentine”, “The Kinks”, and “The Velvet Underground” are some of Yo La Tengo’s principal influences and I think this album is a consistent combination of those sounds. Sweet-sounding melodies and smooth basslines join together with noisy fuzzy guitar sounds and thoughtful lyrics. If you enjoyed this album, I recommend the songs, “Nowhere Near” and “Green Arrow” from their preview albums.