Condo Fucks - Fuckbook

Yo La Tengo have spent the past 20-odd years making an art form out of goofing off, and this month the trio release an album of covers (their third) under the alias of Condo Fucks. Although the sweet, limited vocals are unmistakably those of Ira, Georgia and James, they're buried under layers of garage-punk fuzz and snarl. Fuckbook marks a departure in sound that recalls the fleeting, idiosyncratic Watch Out For Me Ronnie from 2006's I Am Not Afraid of You And I Will Beat Your Ass with added feedback and live fuck-ups. The album's ramshackle nature simply demonstrates that the band have a habit of falling upon brilliance while simply larking about, and while Fuckbook is unmistakeably a novelty sideline, it's immensely enjoyable in its own right. The band retain the try-anything playfulness of youth while shunning its arrogance for a twinkly-eyed appreciation of their own ordinariness. [Gillian Watson]