Yo La Tengo
Painful

THE REVIEW

The first time I heard "Big Day Coming", the first of two homonymous tracks on "Painful" (Matador, 1993), it was a bolt from the blue. A true revelation. I didn't believe one could achieve so much with so little. A three-note organ loop repeated ad libitum, yet anything but obsessive. A gentle arpeggio, supported by an almost nonexistent bassline. Keplan starts to whisper and then tames ornamental guitar feedbacks that gracefully weave between one melody and another. I may be cliché, but I can't define the resulting amalgam in any other way than magic. Lying on a bed of clouds, amidst birds chirping and the resurfacing of the emotions that mattered most. Serenity. Nothing was wrong. I thought that if perfection truly existed in the world, the kind that doesn't tire even with too much precision, it must be hidden in the dreamlike atmosphere of that song. In time, I was able to put things into perspective, relatively, but the impact of that seemingly simple track was truly remarkable. The impact of that track is truly remarkable.
Then, once I came down, I didn't experience any sort of down; rather, I felt like when you're in love, but there was no sweetheart waiting for me anywhere. Only a scribbled guitar riff ("From a Motel 6") that would have embarrassed Sonic Youth in a school-like, almost radiofriendly fashion.

The first two introductory tracks are already worth any album that holds value. And the temptation to end now by proposing the link to purchase the CD on Amazon is strong.

It's not easy at all to talk about an album like this. I've even hypothesized it hasn't been discussed here yet just to avoid embarking on a tedious yet sensibly obligatory track-by-track. Obligatory because it's like dealing with a concept album, where one cannot shirk from touching any point of passage of the album.
"Painful" craves the track-by-track treatment. As if it were a concept, but without an underlying concept. A sonic concept, a sort of journey towards the listener's purification and bliss. A musical journey that culminates in the peace of the senses following the emotional instrumental finale, "I Heard You Looking".
The Yo La Tengo in this album do not make any mistakes. This is not written by a fanatic. Here every step is simply the right one. Every arrangement, whether bare ("Nowhere Near", with Hubley on vocals) or full-bodied and powerful like the organ and distortions of "Sudden Organ", is crafted with awareness and takes shape by adding one piece after another to a work that comes to life once completed. 

Even though some tracks may apparently turn out to be inconclusive (which one?!), in their context they make a difference. Skipping a random passage would be tantamount to denying oneself a great moment for a noble purpose.
There's a track on the album, a cover of "The Whole of the Law" by The Only Ones, which when taken individually might seem nothing more than a pleasant ballad, but nestled between the two most vehement, intense moments of "Painful" ("I Was the Fool Beside for Too Long" and "Big Day Coming (2)") it serves as two minutes of relaxation, where the listener stretches and refreshes, preparing for the poignant final liberatory act (mentioned above).

Visibly struggling and all sweaty, I conclude with a banality in the style of "water is wet...": music must be experienced firsthand and sometimes, indeed, very often words are not enough. Surely they will never be able to express an emotion aroused by music. It would be like explaining to a deafblind person the sensation of auditory perception.

So I'm ready for the refund, I cannot exempt myself from this temptation: A Link