2/11/19: I'll Be Around - Yo La Tengo

ARIGO MUSIC’s SONG SUGGESTIONS

Who needs Spotify, Apple Music, or Pandora? Well we all do, but here's OUR song suggestion of the day:

“I’ll Be Around” - Yo La Tengo

This song reels you in with feedback, then a guitar, then perhaps a second guitar, and builds with atmospheric chords until we hear the delicate voice of lead singer Ira Kaplan and hang on each word he sings, of which there aren’t many. The instrumentation is fairly repetitive and remains soothing throughout, providing the backing tune for what almost feels like a stream of consciousness in terms of lyrics.

In an interview, band member and bassist James McNew offers some clarity on how the song came about stating, “That one started really loud and kept getting quieter and quieter. I think it started as a practice-long jam and then slowly kept coming down and down and down until the three of us were sitting right here — a chair here, a chair here and me. I had a little drum-machine app that I was using and playing through the speakers, and we were all just seated playing to each other until it was like, "Okay, there it is."

When listening to this song, it’s easy to picture exactly what McNew describes. It feels like a soft long jam that slightly builds but for the most part remains subdued and introspective. It’s a beautiful tune to relax to.

The music video, directed by Phil Morrison, adds a completely new artistic element to the song and features Mac McCaughan of Superchunk. We’ll have to try the recipe.