Posted By Ben W. on November 19, 2009

Yo La Tengo’s new album Popular Songs is poorly named. At least by half.

These guys have long been the Sybil of indie rock. So you know going in you’re going to get 10 different genres in 10 songs. They know every nuance of pop music so well, they can skip around style to style without ever losing their own identity. It’s almost become their identity, in fact.

I just can’t recall a record of theirs — or by anyone for that matter — that splits its personality so dramatically as this one.

The first nine songs on the record dance by in 35 minutes of pristine pop, predictably recalling a variety of genres. There’s artsy drone (“Here To The Fall”), Motown pastiche (“If It’s True”), garage funk (“Periodically Double Or Triple”), power pop (“Nothing To Hide”), standard issue indie guitar rock (“Avalon Or Someone Similar”) and… you get the point. Popular songs. Yes. Absolutely. Or at least they should be.

And then you get to the last three tracks. They don’t dance. They crawl. It’s 37 minutes of mostly instrumental tomfoolery — not awful, though also not something to sit down and listen to very often either. Popular songs? No. Not even close.

It’s a weird  way to make an album. Kind of cool. But definitely weird.

Anyway, today’s 12:12 Tuner is “All Your Secrets” — the last of the popular song portion of Popular Songs. It’s not the most immediate song on the album. It’s just the best.

It’s one of those quiet grooves Yo La Tengo finds at least twice an album that manages to make you both happier and sadder than you were five minutes ago. Fantastic stuff.

We celebrate a 12:12 Tune of the Day at almostfourstars every Monday through Friday at precisely 12:12 p.m. To browse and listen to a complete list of past 12:12 Tuners, please click here.

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Categories: 12:12 Tune Of The Day, Reviews
Tags: Yo La Tengo