Vinyl Vault

One of the stalwarts of indie rock, Yo La Tengo appeared on the scene (out of Hoboken, NJ) in 1986 with the unassuming Ride the Tiger. Since then, the trio has been pushing the envelope with their freewheeling experimentation in noise rock, sweet pop, off-kilter covers, and free-jazz informed instrumental music. Yo La Tengo can dazzle with simple pop tunes (”My Little Corner of the World”) or attack with fierce, feedback-laden ragers (”False Alarm”). Like Sonic Youth with a sweet tooth, the band commands both ends of the volume spectrum. Their sprawling 1997 album, I Can Hear the Heart Beating as One, introduced them to a wider audience and stands as the trio’s magnum opus. We’ll take a song-by-song look to see how the records stands the test of time.

I Can Hear the Heart Beating as One (1997, Matador)

Side A

  A1. “Return to Hot Chicken”
This short instrumental piece serves as a nice coda for the mayhem to follow. Featuring Ira Kaplan’s shimmering guitar and a pretty melody, this one definitely stands on its own.

  A2. “Moby Octopad”
“Moby Octopad” layers droning guitars, a repetitive drum beat, and some positively stellar vocals from Georgia Hubley and James McNew (in fine falsetto form), on top of a downright funky bassline. The arpeggio piano lines that interrupt the proceedings in the middle of the track is a nice touch, too.

  A3. “Sugarcube”
Arguably one of Yo La Tengo’s finest moments (and undoubtedly their most popular track), “Sugarcube” is pure pop bliss, a pile of distortion infused with raging guitars and a tasty melody. It’s a perfect slab of avant garde pop that could have been the lovechild of Sonic Youth and The Jesus and Mary Chain. “Sugarcube” belongs in any discerning music fan’s collection.

  A3. “Damage”
A simmering song featuring waves of feedback and the hushed vocals of Kaplan and gentle coos of Hubley, “Damage” doesn’t quite pay off, but it does keep you hanging on. By the time you get invested in the droning repetition, the track ends, leaving you wanting more.

Side B

  B1. “Deeper into Movies”
With guitar freakouts that rival any Thurston Moore effort, “Deeper into Movies” is noise rock at its best. Still rooted in traditional songwriting, boasting a somewhat discernible melody, the song is a showcase for the axe skills of Kaplan. It’s a thrilling ride that shows just how adventurous the band can be.

  B2. “Shadows”
Hubley takes center stage on this gentle ballad and, as usual, she sounds unassuming, even timid. But like Maureen Tucker of the VU, that’s part of her charm.

  B3. “Stockholm Syndrome”
A straightforward acoustic pop song sung in McNew’s irresistible falsetto and skewered with an off-kilter electric guitar solo from Kaplan, “Stockholm Syndrome” has become a fan favorite and understandably so.

  B4. “Autumn Sweater”
The band’s on a roll when they hit another high point on the record with “Autumn Sweater.” An infectious percussion pattern and vintage organ chords drive the song as it ebbs and flows between funky and refined. Threatening to burst at any moment, the track nonetheless keeps its focus, lulling you into a sort of nodding groove as the repetition churns on.

  B5. “Little Honda”
The nearly flawless side B comes to an end with a positively giddy shoegaze version of the Beach Boys’ “Little Honda.” Surely, The Jesus and Mary Chain are jealous of Yo La Tengo’s perfect melding of distortion and melody, not to mention their decision to select such killer source material. I’ve always said that Yo La Tengo would make the most exciting cover band given, their stellar taste and always inspired execution. “Little Honda” should leave little doubt about my claim.

Side C

  C1. “Green Arrow”
With an underlying soundtrack of crickets, “Green Arrow” is a languid instrumental piece that features some nice side guitar. Like a soundtrack to some lost film, it’s a pleasant, but somewhat unnecessary and uneventful undertaking.

  C2. “One PM Again”
This gentle country lilt finds Kaplan singing in low register supplanted by Hubley’s airy backing vocals. Again, it’s pleasing to the ears but a little anti-climactic compared to the excitement and variety of sides A and B.

  C3. “The Lie and How We Told It”
Keeping the pace slow and dreamy, Yo La Tengo “The Lie and How We Told It” blends into a blur with the two tracks preceding it. Given the record’s extended length, this inconsequential track would have made a nice b-side.

  C4. “Center of Gravity”
The trio returns to form with the bossa nova bounce of “Center of Gravity.” a wonderfully arranged pop gem that hearkens back to the glory days of Astrid Gilberto. Hubley’s vocals are precious and the interplay with Kaplan’s “ba bop bas” is fetching, as are the lilting Casio beats.

Side D

  D1. “Spec Bebop”
The mellowness of side C is shattered with the epic “Spec Bebop,” a sprawling beast of a track built on hypnotically droning keyboard squalls and feedback. Clocking in at nearly 11 minutes, the instrumental is not for everybody, but it ably demonstrates the breadth of the band’s talent, recalling the experimental noise workouts of bands like Sonic Youth, Spaceman 3, and Suicide.

  D2. “We’re an American Band”
Dense layers of electric guitars envelope this hazy ballad as Kaplan and Hubley harmonize together low in the mix. A fat bass line emerges under a particularly inspired guitar solo and before you know it, the track roars to life, climaxing with two and half minutes of ear-spitting distortion. “We’re an American Band” stands as one of the band’s more underrated deep cuts.

  D3. “My Little Corner of the World”
Releasing all the tension that was constructed during the preceding 17 minutes of the side is the band’s spot on version of Anita Bryant’s “My Little Corner of the World,” yet another inspired Yo La Tengo cover. Stewart Mason of AMG captured it thusly, “Georgia Hubley’s charmingly small voice is perfect for the cozy sentiments of the lyrics, and her absolutely straightforward delivery is sweetly conversational and uncharacteristically alluring.”

The Bottom Line

Despite an uneven side C, I Can Hear the Heart Beating as One is Yo La Tengo’s most well-rounded and cohesive record. It shows off the band’s ability to seamlessly move between disparate styles, from cinematic instrumentals to catchy pop songs, from off-kilter covers to feedback-fueled freakouts. This is an album that perfectly encapsulates indie rock and stands as one of the best releases of the 1990s.

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