Fade: Deluxe Edition

USインディー界のカリスマとして君臨し、ここ日本でも熱狂的なファンに支持されているヨ・ラ・テンゴの新作『フェイド』に未発表曲、レア曲、ビーチ・ボーイズのカヴァー曲などを収録したボーナスCD付のデックス・エディションが登場!今年1月に13作目のスタジオ・アルバムとして発表された本作。全米チャートはバンド史上最高位となる26位を獲得し世界中で大ヒット&ロングセラーを記録している大傑作アルバム。ノイズ、サイケ、ドリーミー・ポップなどヨ・ラ・テンゴの魅力がたっぷり詰まっている!ソニック・ユース、キャット・パワー、ペイヴメント、ファックト・アップなど人気アーティストと共に＜マタドール＞を牽引するヨ・ラ・テンゴによる待望の新作は、プロデューサーにトータスのドラマーとしても活躍するジョン・マッケンタイア(ティーンエイジ・ファンクラブ、ブライト・アイズ他)を起用し、長年のファンも納得の仕上がりに!

At album number 13, Yo La Tengo are an institution unto themselves, having perfected their craft of slow-burning, unassumingly insular indie rock in incremental baby steps since their formation in 1984. Almost three decades of building a language of wistfully melodic guitar rock without becoming redundant is no small feat, and Fade rises to the unique challenge by striking a middle ground between new territory and recalling YLT's finest hours. Fade is the first album for the band not recorded with producer Roger Moutenot, who had worked with the group on everything they put to tape since their 1993 breakthrough, Painful. The ten songs here were recorded instead with Chicago scene veteran John McEntire (Tortoise, Sea and Cake, Gastr del Sol, etc.) at his Soma studios, and while his influence on the album isn't overwhelming, there are touches of his affinity for orchestration, such as the gleaming strings and horn arrangements on album closer "Before We Run" and the distant trombone on "Cornelia and Jane." Mostly, regardless of production, Fade comes across as almost self-referential before it recalls other reference points, coming closest to the sound and overall feel of their 1997 masterpiece, I Can Hear the Heart Beating as One. The whispery vocals and bed of guitar textures on "Stupid Things" and the extended percussive jamming of "Ohm" definitely seem informed by territory the band was exploring around that era, though the album on a whole lacks any of the spiky rockers that broke up the lush softness on ICHTHBAO. The gentle and romantic wash of sounds that characterizes much of Fade is more in keeping with the band's chilled-out 2003 album Summer Sun, with graceful exploration of different sounds all reined in before they spin into distortion or clamor. Even the slinky groove and weird wah-wah tones of "Well You Better" are subdued, offering a relatively mellow peak in energy. The album's lazy, sunshiny demeanor borders on sleepy at times, but those listening closely will pick up on the subtle shifts in instrumentation and colorful production shifts that the band has grown to excel at over the years. The fingerpicked acoustic guitar and harmonium drones of "I'll Be Around" fade into the spaced-out drum machine pulse of "Two Trains" without spectacle, and the entire album blends in a similar, pleasant way. This fluidity and cohesion is what drives the songs on Fade to stand stronger as a unified mood, and one that grows more satisfying with repeat listens. By this point, Yo La Tengo have developed not just a style, but a voice of their own so distinct that the deeper the details go determines how strong the album can be. Fade is rich with details and grows richer the closer one looks. ~ Fred Thomas

1曲目からエネルギーの塊が奔流のように飛び出してくる。ジョン・マッケンタイアによるプロデュース、ジェフ・パーカーらシカゴ派との突き抜けた化学反応が痛快！ 14作目にしても尚ブランニューが体感できるマジックがうれしい。空間構成のダイナミズムと実験性を内包しつつも、メロディアスな仕上がりはまさに彼らならでは。自然体で好きなようにやっているのに、フリーウェイを走るバンに同乗しているようなこの親密さは何？（笑）
intoxicate (C)水上渉

2年半ぶりのニュー・アルバムは、長年プロデュースを任せてきたロジャー・マテノから離れ、ジョン・マッケンタイアを起用するという意外な展開。珍しく3 人で合唱する“Ohm"で幕を開け、豊かな音楽的ヴォキャブラリーをろ過しながら、ミニマムで親密なサウンドを生み出していく。細やかで温かみのある音響処理などマッケンタイアとのコラボレートが冴え渡り、聴くほどにじんわり沁みてくる一枚。
bounce (C)村尾泰郎