Released: 26/08/22
Somehow, despite my considerable love for Yo La Tengo I have only seen New Jersey’s finest live once in my life. The question of how on earth this can be is a dangerous existential thread to pull on, as before you know it you’re reading Proust and Seneca in a vain attempt to make sense of the eternal question, “what the f--- have I been doing with my time?” Hmm. Any road, it was a memorable gig both for the brilliance of the show and an incident in which I accidentally trod on Stewart Lee’s heel, at which minor infraction he became more irate than is perhaps reasonable.
On the topic of time’s inexorable march, it’s somehow been 25 years since the release of YLT’s majestic I Can Hear The Heart Beating As One, which comprises 16 tracks of indie rock perfection. It’s actually kind of ridiculous how many of the band’s all-timer tracks are on the LP – “Stockholm Syndrome”, “Autumn Sweater”, Sugarcube”, “Damage”, “Deeper into Movies” … . If you missed it the first time around, then this lovely anniversary edition is the perfect opportunity to discover one of America’s greatest bands. Seize the day, time’s winged chariot hurries near…