Yo La Tengo - Stuff Like That There (Black Vinyl)

Released in 2015, Stuff Like That There finds Yo La Tengo revisiting the intimate, largely acoustic approach of their much-loved 1990 album Fakebook. Combining newly written songs, reworked material from their own catalogue and carefully selected cover versions, the album highlights the group’s instinctive musicianship and their deep knowledge of pop, soul, country and independent music.

For these sessions, Ira Kaplan, Georgia Hubley and James McNew were joined once again by guitarist Dave Schramm, whose graceful playing had been a defining feature of Yo La Tengo’s earliest recordings. McNew frequently uses upright bass, giving the arrangements an especially warm and unhurried character. The result is a record built around close harmonies, brushed percussion, gently picked guitars and performances that sound relaxed without ever becoming casual.

The album begins with “My Heart’s Not in It,” originally recorded by Darlene McCrea, before moving into the understated original “Rickety.” Hank Williams’ “I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry” is treated with remarkable restraint, allowing the melody and emotional weight of the song to remain central. The band also returns to its own history through new interpretations of “All Your Secrets,” “The Ballad of Red Buckets” and “Deeper Into Movies.”

Yo La Tengo’s version of The Cure’s “Friday I’m in Love” strips away the original’s bright pop production and presents the song as something quieter and more reflective. Other selections draw from Great Plains, The Lovin’ Spoonful, Special Pillow, The Parliaments, Antietam and Sun Ra’s wider musical universe, revealing the breadth of the band’s listening without turning the album into a novelty exercise.

Presented on black vinyl, Stuff Like That There is especially suited to late-night listening, quiet afternoons and anyone drawn to warm, natural-sounding recordings. It is accessible enough for newcomers but filled with references and subtle reinterpretations that longtime listeners will appreciate. Gentle, affectionate and thoughtfully sequenced, the album demonstrates that Yo La Tengo’s quieter side can be every bit as distinctive as their feedback-heavy performances.