I'm Not Afraid of You and I Will Beat Your Ass

With 2006's cheekily titled I AM NOT AFRAID OF YOU AND I WILL BEAT YOUR ASS, the beloved indie-rock trio Yo La Tengo presents a dynamic set of songs that echo the band's past, while notably downplaying the soporific atmospherics of preceding discs (the lauded AND THEN NOTHING and SUMMER SUN). The New Jersey-based group opens with "Pass the Hatchet, I Think I'm Goodkind," a feedback-drenched guitar workout anchored by pulsing, insistent rhythms, which is followed by the jaunty "Beanbag Chair," a charming pop ditty that percolates under Ira Kaplan and Georgia Hubley's breezy vocals. Other highlights of this eclectic record include the beautifully orchestral "Black Flowers" and "The Room Got Heavy," a quirky electro tune. Essentially a well-chosen crossroads for most of Yo La Tengo's various stylistic paths, I AM NOT AFRAID distills the ensemble's decades-long history into a willfully varied and always-engaging album.