Four decades into their career, Yo La Tengo have such a sprawling and versatile discography that it’s no surprise their most beloved records, from 1997’s “I Can Feel The Heart Beating As One” to 2013’s “Fade”, are ones that make an effort to streamline their sound while eloquently fusing different styles. Aside from it being their first album of wholly new material since 2018’s “There’s a Riot Going On”, that’s another reason why “This Stupid World” feels like another pivotal moment in a career full of them. On paper, a lot of “This Stupid World” sounds doomful, or at least weathered by the passage of time. But more often than not, it’s a record that’s thrilling in its aliveness: “This stupid world, it’s killing me,” goes its enveloping mantra. “This stupid world is all we have.”
With its innate energy and some of the group’s strongest song writing in years, “This Stupid World” is the band’s heaviest and most immediate album in years. Back are the chugging bass line and feedback-laden theatrics that have made the trio such a beloved staple in the indie American fabric where they continue to defy rock and pop construction norms.
The Fat Angel Sings 