And Then Nothing Turned Itself Inside-Out

Rolling Stone (1/4/01, p.118) - Included in Rolling Stone's "Top 50 Albums of 2000". Rolling Stone (3/2/00, pp.91-2) - 4 stars out of 5 - "...a quiet, delicate meditation on their bond [as one of the most creatively fierce married band mates in music history]...singing their most confessional, intimate lyrics ever...It's a spell of blissful, psychedelic make-out music..." Spin (4/00, pp.189-90) - 8 out of 10 - "...Brooding and staid....[their] classic elements appear in fine form....slow dances evoking the deep calm of disappointment made familiar, even comfortable, by redemption - a pattern that over time has its own beauty..." Entertainment Weekly (3/3/00, p.75) - "Listening to this gentle musical love story is like eavesdropping on a whispered late-night conversation between Ira Kaplan and Georgia Hubley....their prettiest album, and it's guaranteed to make you jealous." - Rating: A Q (4/00, p.100) - 4 stars out of 5 - "...continues to play slow and loose with that same ascetic blueprint....a thoroughly life-affirming reverie." Uncut (3/00, p.92) - 4 stars out of 5 - "...A gentle, reflective album about love from three maturing noiseniks..." Alternative Press (3/00, p.96) - 4 out of 5 - "...Yo La Tengo aqre playing together wonderfully well here....the hushed, often beautifully harmonized vocals...are the most pleasant surprise here....their most mature fully realized work to date..." Magnet (1-2/01, p.45) - Included in Magnet's "20 Best Albums of 2000" - "...A jazz-like, hypnotic quietude, yeilding an introspective...tension that squalls beneath the surface..." The Wire (2/00, p.56) - "...Imaginatively paced pop drones....shifting painlessly from heavy lidded, cocktail lounge leanings...to cheeky Sonic Youth THOUSAND LEAVES-era guitar grind....cute, clever and accomplished..." CMJ (1/08/01, p.20) - Included in CMJ's "Best of the Year" for 2000. CMJ (1/6/03, p.20) - Included in CMJ's list of "Top 25 College Radio Albums of All Time" CMJ (3/6/00, p.3) - "...drawing inspiration from its members' personal lives....the trio has truly turned its muse inside out here, creating a work of magnitude and heart..." Melody Maker (3/14/00, p.53) - 4 stars out of 5 - "...[They] have further refined their baby's-bottom-smooth sound and come up with a gem..." Mojo (Publisher) (2/00, pp.86-7) - "...A beautiful, fragile, record that demands your full attention....There's something utterly unpretentious about this album, maybe due to its themes: love, marriage, the course of a relationship - their relationship..." NME (Magazine) (12/30/00, p.78) - Ranked #14 in NME's "Top 50 Albums Of The Year". NME (Magazine) (2/19/00, p.33) - 9 out of 10 - "...a twilight minimalism of post-folk strums and distant hums, all the better to tighten the focus on [Ira] Kaplan and [Georgia] Hubley's confessionals....A clearly adult, unfashionably sensitive document....It works...Like a dream."

After years as one of indie rock's standard-bearing groups, Yo La Tengo surpasses itself with And Then Nothing Turned Itself Inside-Out. A culturally literate, emotionally rich album, on songs like "Let's Save Tony Orlando's House," "The Crying of Lot G," and "The Last Days of Disco," it alludes to The Simpsons, enigmatic author Thomas Pynchon and independent films while exploring the comforting, confining, complex aspects of relationships. "Our Way to Fall" sets Ira Kaplan's recollection of falling in love to a dreamy, down-to-earth backdrop of gently brushed drums, luminous organs and vibes; "The Crying of Lot G" transforms the syrupy sweetness of '50s ballads into a monologue about a relationship's shortcomings. "Madeline"'s shimmery indie bossa-nova and the countrified ballad "Tears Are in Your Eyes" showcase Georgia Hubley's buttery, empathetic voice; her singing makes these vignettes universal as well as personal. Like mature indie rock records such as Pavement's Terror Twilight and Jim O'Rourke's Eureka, And Then Nothing... favors mellow songwriting, detailed arrangements, and eclectic influences, such as the Silver Apples-like drum machines and doo wop backing vocals that adorn many of the songs. The wintry, implosive "Everyday" uses both of these elements, along with a plaintive guitar and hushed, hypnotic vocals, to begin the album on a surprisingly somber note. Similarly, the off-kilter beats, odd piano bursts, and harmonies on "Saturday" add to the song's awkward, uneasy beauty. Finally, nine songs into the album, Yo La Tengo breaks out the whammy and feedback action on "Cherry Chapstick," their most incandescent song since "Sugarcube." Easily one of 2000's most accomplished albums, And Then Nothing Turned Itself Inside-Out isn't as immediate as some of the group's earlier work, but it's just as enduring, proving that Yo La Tengo is the perfect band to grow old with. ~ Heather Phares