May I Sing with Me by Yo La Tengo on AllMusic

May I Sing with Me

review

by John Dougan

With song titles like "Mushroom Cloud of Hiss" and "Five-Cornered Drone (Crispy Duck)," May I Sing with Me is classic Yo La Tengo, merging pop and noise in an awesome aural display. Songs start with Ira Kaplan's repetitive (and very simple) chord changes, as Georgia Hubley and (at this juncture) regular bassist James McNew add layer after layer of supportive sound. On a noisier track like the aforementioned "Mushroom Cloud of Hiss," the song explodes in paroxysms of feedback and drops the rhythmic pulse altogether, eventually returning the backbeat after a few minutes of white noise. That may not be everybody's cup of tea, but for those who like this type of adventurousness and recklessness, it's a lot of fun.