- Critic score
- Publication
- By date
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Summer Sun is a stunner, a subtle but substantial collection of non-sequiturs that displays the scope of Yo La Tengo’s tweaked-out serenity.
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Summer Sun stretches Yo La Tengo's musical boundaries even further than before, as well as reaching back to tie-up loose ends from past master works.
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An hour-long dream-pop kiss that floats by on a bed of brushed drums, lilting Hawaiian guitars and whispered vocals.
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MojoA set of busy beautiful whispers, 62 minutes of exquisite suspended animation. [Apr 2003, p.87]
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Alternative PressTheir most challenging album to date. [June 2003, p.98]
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BlenderThey sound comfortable in their own skin--and able to get under yours. [May 2003, p.127]
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The more time you spend with Summer Sun, the more fun it turns out to be.
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Few bands are this awake to the possibility that music can be both droning and catchy.
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As good as Summer Sun is, and it's very good, it just doesn't quite have the timeless, magical quality that And Then Nothing had.
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UncutFrom the edge of the sea, back to the fringes of sleep, Summer Sun is uncommonly lovely. [May 2003, p.104]
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Like Stereolab and Beck, Yo La Tengo liberate their listeners by downplaying language and logic in favor of our bodies' hazy dreams.
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The WireWhile rock fans may be disappointed by Yo La Tengo's fleeting venture into playful jazz, the group continue to produce music that's full of gesture and emotional intensity. [#231, p.73]
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As irresistible at its peak - the luscious 'Little Eyes' and a lovely interpretation of Big Star's 'Take Care' - as it is baffling at its prog-jazz edges, 'Summer Sun' is the crowbar that pries open the door into a world of left-field beauty.
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This minor masterpiece of an album is nothing less than a precision exercise in deconstructed songwriting.
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Entertainment WeeklyEqual parts Alex Chilton, Gilberto Gil, and early YLT. [11 Apr 2003, p.78]
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SpinSummer Sun sometimes sounds like a band treading water at low tide, but obsessively exploring the contours of a moment is what Yo La have been about from day one. [Jul 2003, p.109]
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Reveals Yo La Tengo's understanding of stasis without stagnation.
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Summer Sun is full of beautiful melodies that fail to excite for the sole reason that, for the already initiated, it seems like old hat.
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Summer Sun doesn't have the collective impact of its predecessors, a problem typically attributable to song selection, sequencing and mixing.
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The back two-thirds of the disc simply wanders around a bit too much, but there are still some real gems.
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Summer Sun is a compelling, enthralling and gorgeous album that gets better with each listen.
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Summer Sun, while constantly very good, is never creative, inspiring or great. [Editor's Note: Score listed is an average of three separate reviews/scores by this publication: 56, 60, 68]
User score distribution:
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Positive: 16 out of 18
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Mixed: 1 out of 18
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Negative: 1 out of 18
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May 29, 2020Very close to perfect. These guys do not miss a beat. I would give it a 9.5 honestly but that’s not an option so 10! Lol
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RobbieCJul 22, 2007
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AaronBAug 31, 2006