Old Joy

Description

For the first time on vinyl, Yo La Tengo’s understated and lonesome soundtrack to Kelly Reichardt’s classic film Old Joy. Recorded in one afternoon in Yo La Tengo’s studio, Old Joy is a drift, an improvised journey, born out of a years-long friendship between the band and the film’s director. The six instrumental tracks, created in collaboration with legendary guitarist Smokey Hormel, bear YLT’s singular sound, but in service of another great work of art. The music, like most of Reichardt’s films, is quiet but striking, stripped down to its essentials, warm and unassuming. Originally released on They Shoot, We Score, a CD compiling several of the band’s film scores, Old Joy appears here as a coherent whole, expanding and rewarding upon repeated listens. Sliding reverbed guitars, muted piano and percussion, the hum of an old amp — the hazy recollection of an afternoon in the studio, or an ephemeral road trip through the Oregon woods.