Strange But True

1998年にMatadorからリリースされたコラボ作が再発です。90年代半ばにヨ・ラ・テンゴとパーティで共演した頃には、彼らはすでに友人であり互いのファンであり、そして共に作品を作ってきた仲。トリオはすぐに賛同し、結果生まれた今作はまるで広大な野草の草原のように多様で自由奔放で、実に素晴らしい作品に仕上がっています。

With song titles literally lifted from tabloid headlines ("Ohio Town Saved from Killer Bees by Hungry Vampire Bats," for example), Jad Fair & Yo La Tengo's joint effort Strange But True plays more like spoken word poetry than an actual "rock record." Those unfamiliar with Fair's "more talking than singing" vocal style will undoubtedly find Strange But True to be a difficult listen. On the positive side, this could very well be Fair's most accessible project to date due largely to the musical contributions of indie-favorites Yo La Tengo. Heavy with feedback and other sonic assaults, Yo La Tengo seems to be the perfect match for Fair. Unfortunately, the songwriting is rarely given more than B-side treatment, which isn't surprising, considering they recorded all twenty two songs in two days. Strange But True is record destined to split listeners down the middle with Jad Fair fans enjoying every word, but leaving Yo La Tengo fans feeling disappointed. ~ Gregg Sandheinrich