This Stupid World

この愚かな世界。僕らにあるのはただそれだけ。
ヨ・ラ・テンゴ最新アルバム発売決定!!

長きに渡る活動の軌跡はまさにUSオルタナ～インディの理想形とも言えるヨ・ラ・テンゴが、話題となった奈良美智とのコラボレーションEPを挟んで最新アルバム『This Stupid World』を〈Matador〉よりリリース!
4年ぶり実に16作目となる本作はメンバーによるセルフ・プロデュースで制作され、ほぼすべての曲で3人が同時に演奏しており、ここ数年のヨ・ラ・テンゴのアルバムの中で最もライブ感のある作品に仕上がった。アルバムの世界へと没入を誘う7分を超えるオープナー「Sinatra Drive Breakdown」から、初期の人気曲にしてオルタナ・クラシック「Tom Courtenay」、「Sugarcube」を彷彿とさせる先行シングル「Fallout」、そして荘厳なストリングスのドローンとダビーなリズム・トラックの中で諸行無常の諦観と楽観を歌ったジョージアの歌声が深い余韻を残す終曲「Miles Away」までヨ・ラ・テンゴらしい数々の音の旅路を刻んだ全9曲を収録。ヨ・ラ・テンゴらしく時代を超越するのではなく、時間に逆らう内省的な音楽がリスナーひとりひとりに寄り添う珠玉の一枚が再び誕生した。

Its encouraging that nearly four decades into one of the most impressive careers in indie rock, Yo La Tengo are still finding new ways of doing things. On 2018s Theres A Riot Going On, the band upended their usual process of writing material and then re-creating it in the studio by setting up recording gear in their rehearsal space and capturing their music in a freer and more spontaneous manner. For that album, YLT handed the tracks over to John McEntire (of Tortoise and the Sea and Cake) for mixing, but 2023s This Stupid World sees them cutting out the last middleman in their process -- this time, the band mixed the tracks themselves, and for the first time theyve made an album with essentially no outside input. Yo La Tengo have been doing what they do long enough that they know and trust their process, and This Stupid World doesnt seem radically different from their work of the last 10 or 15 years. That said, this music feels warmer and more emotionally satisfying than anything YLT have given us since 2009s Popular Songs. Many of these tracks grew out of jams, and the notion of "first thought, best thought" clearly works for this group (which may give us cause to reassess the conventional wisdom about the phrase "jam band"). The cool, languid beauty of "Miles Away," the easy but implacable groove of "Sinatra Drive Breakdown," the bittersweet yearning of "Aselestine," the easygoing self-depreciation of "Apology Letter," and the clouds of noise in the title cut each beautifully represent one of the many sides of YLTs sonic personality, and the work sounds at once confident and engaged with the possibilities of chance. This Stupid World never sounds sloppy even as this music is happening in the moment, and the interplay between Ira Kaplans skronky guitar, James McNews rock-solid bass, and Georgia Hubleys imaginative drumming (as well as their use of occasional electronic washes) remains a marvel, a familiar formula that produces fresh, intriguing results. Theres s Riot Going On was created in a time of strife and uncertainty for a great many people, and sometimes it sounded like it. This Stupid World doesnt pretend all is roses again, but it finds a lot more room for joy and engaging with your muse. If the world is still stupid outside of Yo La Tengos headquarters, inside theyre making worthy art to share with us, and we can all be grateful for that. ~ Mark Deming

セルフ・プロデュースで届けられた4年ぶりの16作目。ほぼ全曲を3人同時に演奏して録音したということもあってか全体の聴き心地もライヴ感に溢れていて、延々と続く音世界に深く深く没入させてくれる仕上がりだ。導入曲の"Sinatra Drive Breakdown"とラストの"Miles Away"はいずれも7分超の長尺で、入口も出口もないまま過ぎゆく時間と音に身を委ねていたくなる。愚かな時代の流れを悠々と無視するような全9曲。
bounce (C)香椎 恵