★★★★☆
Active since 1984, Yo La Tengo was indie before indie was a thing. Influenced by American alternative band The Velvet Underground and British band The Kinks, Yo La Tengo introduced the dreamy shoegaze genre to American audiences.
Shoegaze, an offshoot of alternative rock, is characterized by obscured vocals, murky guitar, and a noisy feeling of nostalgia. It has largely fallen out of the mainstream in favor of today’s soft indie rock. Yo La Tengo, however, is keeping the genre alive. With This Stupid World, released Feb. 10, the band stays true to its roots without sounding tired.
The title says it all. This Stupid World is both a love letter and a lament to modern life. Those struggling with an identity crisis or sense of loss in a chaotic world may not find hope in songwriter and lead singer Ira Kaplan’s lyrics, but they will find a deep relatability. The catharsis provided by Kaplan’s often melancholy verses is overwhelming at times, but leaves listeners feeling a little less alone.
“Fallout,” the album’s second track, features layered electric guitar and a quick beat. It is more rock influenced than most of the band’s earlier work, but layered vocals contribute to a dreamy feeling. Kaplan’s vocal range is limited, but the song’s use of instrumentation gives it an illusion of depth. Reminiscent of Modern English’s hit “I Melt With You,” the song feels nostalgic for a time and place that doesn’t exist.
“I don’t know how it’s gonna be / Close your eyes, fall out of time with me,” Kaplan sings.
The album as a whole—with its long instrumental breaks and reverb-heavy guitar—conveys a feeling of uncertainty for the future.
When Kaplan is not singing, the band’s percussionist—and Kaplan’s wife—Georgia Hubley takes the mic. She has been instrumental in the band’s success, providing a dynamic sound and breaking up the band’s more monotonous albums. Featured on two out of the album’s nine tracks, Hubley’s voice lends an ethereal quality to the band’s music.
“Aselestine,” the first song where Kaplan’s voice is not heard, has a more folksy, floating sound than previous songs on the album. It is quintessential shoegaze, mixing an acoustic guitar melody with blurred electric guitar in the background. Hubley’s voice is warmer than Kaplan’s on the surface, but her lyrics are just as haunting.
“The clock won’t tick / I can’t predict,” she sings.
Ambiguous verses fill the album, but where words are absent, meaning is expertly filled by the music itself. Yo La Tengo is far less lyrically focused than most of today’s indie bands, but its songs leave a refreshing space for the imagination of listeners.
Much of this imaginative instrumentation comes through in the last few tracks. Although some songs are over seven minutes long, even listeners with the shortest of musical attention spans won’t get bored. “Brain Capers” features heavy guitar layering and murky feedback noises typical of classic shoegaze, but in more of a meandering, jam-session format. Headphones don’t do it justice—it is the kind of song you want to hear live.
With 40 years of experience under its belt, Yo La Tengo created an album that both longtime fans and newer generations will connect with. With haunting lyrics and influences from folk, rock, and grunge, This Stupid World is nostalgic yet relevant. It reminds listeners why they loved shoegaze—or why they should start loving it now.
Correction (Dec. 5, 2023 8:28 p.m.): This article was corrected from a previous version to specify that The Velvet Underground is an American band, not a British band.
