Fade

Yo La Tengo’s 13th album has been universally well-received, not because the band is breaking new ground, but simply because it’s such a perfect extension of what’s come before. Fade is a lush and leisurely stroll through life with all of its seemingly insignificant details. And like life, Yo La Tengo can be all over the place—throwing a lot of styles and emotions into their well-crafted pop. It’s this realness that has sustained countless artists—including Jeff Tweedy and Barbara Manning—for nearly three decades. Fade begins with “Ohm,” a jangly strummer that forgoes a chorus in favor of a beautifully layered verse that runs just over six minutes as organ and guitar clamor and continue to build. Even at their noisiest—like on the warm and fuzzy “Paddle Forward”—Yo La Tengo is still a calming presence. And gentle picking and vocalist Ira Kaplan’s soothing coo on songs like “I’ll Be Around” and “Two Trains” will leave you in the afterglow. Brass and strings add yet another layer to songs like “Is That Enough” on a record that already makes incredible (and subtle) use of sounds. Groundbreaking? Not really. But it’s always best to leave this sort of thing to the professionals.