Hoboken, New Jersey-based Indie rock, noise pop, experimental rock and shoegazing band Yo La Tengo released five singles last week which they compiled under the instrumental album name We Have Amnesia Sometimes. The album was released by Matador Records and contains five formless experimental tracks recorded while the band was in quarantine this spring. The album is expected to be released in vinyl format on or around Oct 15.

According to the band’s press release, Ira Kaplan, the band’s vocalist, guitarist and pianist, states “In late April, with the outside world weighing on everybody, we determined that the three of us could assemble in Hoboken. James set up one microphone in the middle of the room in case we stumbled on something useful for the future. We decided to release some of the things we did.”

The songs on We Have Amnesia Sometimes are similar to “Shortwave” from There’s a Riot Going On, the band’s last released album in 2018.  Like “Shortwave,” which is the most popular song on the LP per Spotify, the songs on We Have Amnesia Sometimes are lacking in musical form and appear much more noise/experimental than the band’s most popular songs to date.

Yo La Tengo appears to be headed in more of a new age/meditation/chakra musical direction with the latest releases than the indie rock, noise pop and experimental rock genres they have been known for in the past. This may be by choice or it may be by circumstances due to the quarantine as Kaplan states “We’ve done no practicing per se.”

The band is supporting their latest release with two 30-45 minute live streams called “We Have Amnesia Live” taking place tonight at 9:00 p.m. ET and tomorrow at 1:00 p.m. ET. The tickets are selling for $10 for each night and can be purchased here. Proceeds will be going to benefit the Brennan Center for Justice to aid in their fight for fair elections, an end to mass incarceration, and the protection of civil liberties.

We Have Amnesia Sometimes includes:

1. James and Ira demonstrate mysticism and some confusion holds (Monday) 05:42
2. Georgia thinks it’s probably okay (Tuesday) 07:33
3. James gets up and watches mourning birds with Abraham (Wednesday) 06:20
4. Georgia considers the two blue ones (Thursday) 08:16
5. Ira searches for the slide, sort of (Friday) 09:25

Photo Credit: Nathan Edge