DanVerlaine

Rating 4.5.
They are fantastic, a great album.
For those approaching them for the first time: I too, after the first listens, wondered where all this talent was hiding, they have a unique sound that needs to be assimilated.
After a while, I returned with a more prepared ear and it was love.
It takes them a little time to sink in, but give them some time and you'll love them.
I'm not saying you should force yourselves to like them (that would be silly), but that Yo La Tengo really can't be judged based on a distracted listen right after downloading.
Try the latest Popular Songs as well, you won't be disappointed. :)

I meant "spot on."

Yo La Tengo is great, and they deserve more or less all their albums. Always pieces of excellent songwriting with well-crafted arrangements, a penchant for noise with an eye for more poppy melodic cues. I don't agree with some choices in the composition of this collection, so I won't give it a 5. To the person who wrote above me, I say that maybe they have some issues with Yo La Tengo because so many people appreciate their talent, and critics praise their quality and coherence (people like Federico Guglielmi).

Where do you find those reviews "from times gone by"?

Solo Jackson has made two albums worth listening to, Thriller and part of this one, the rest is muzak/fake r&b for the slow-witted.

Nice album.

Rating: 3.5.
Great little record.
I also recommend the new Brain Cycles.

I haven't listened to the album and I don't even know if I will because I don't appreciate Mika's style. I hated the singles from the first album, but this new one doesn't seem bad, at least it has a good melody (even if it's very unoriginal). The truth is that whether you like it or not, this quirky guy is establishing himself a bit as the mainstream pop star of our days. In some ways, he is the new Michael Jackson. From this perspective, it’s certainly better for kids to listen to Mika than to Take That and the Spice Girls as they did in the '90s. However, frankly, I find it hard to appreciate his style. Too baroque, too pompous; I would never buy one of his albums. There's that emphasis typical of Queen and, as if that weren't enough, there’s his annoyingly stylized singing. Mika is a kind of soprano lent to pop, technically excellent, but the reliance on technique combined with a feminine timbre produces an at times unbearable effect. Sounds too, too polished; it stinks of perfectionism.

Nice little group.
More than decent record.

In reality, it could be a great album for those who love them. I'm not one of those. I hope they retire.