John Peel once described the Fall as being “always different, always the same”, and this adage can definitely be applied to Yo La Tengo, the influential US art rock ensemble. From the doomy synths of By Two’s to the crunchy Krautrocker Nothing to Hide, the band are on top form. But it is worth buying for the final two songs alone — The Fireside is 11 minutes of ambient bliss, while And the Glitter is Gone is an ebullient quarter of an hour of locked grooves and distorted guitar histrionics.
(Matador)