The Dylan cover swaps the bluesy plod of the original for a rather unsettling sub-gothic approach. Then, we lurch into a faithful version of the Byrds’ version of “Wasn’t Born to Follow” with the psychedelic/country guitar licks reverently reproduced by Dave Schramm. “Blues Stay Away” is a lovely piece of 1940s blues, played straight and charmingly sung. Once you get over the scattershot smorgasbord of songs, there’s a lot to enjoy. It’s like a really short mixtape for someone who works in a record store and has no attention span. And if that wasn’t eclectic enough, these recordings are harvested from all over the place in Yo La Tengo’s history. The joker in the pack is the only original: “Bleeding”, which is a prime piece of ethereal shoegaze. Over 19 minutes, you get blues (“Blues Stay Away”), folk-rock (“Wasn’t Born to Follow”), rootsy Americana (“Roll on Babe”), a bit of Dylan (“It Takes a Lot to Laugh, It Takes a Train to Cry”), and pop (“Smile a Little Smile for Me”). In a very Yo La Tengo move, all the songs were picked in collaboration with Japanese visual artist Yoshitomo Nara to form part of a limited-edition catalog for his Los Angeles County Museum of Art exhibit. The thread which links all the songs on Sleepless Night is beyond tenuous. They probably won’t burst into a rousing version of “Sweet Home Alabama” anytime soon, but if you’re looking for an angst-filled cover of a one-hit-wonder from 1969, step right up. They’re no strangers to a judiciously chosen, ultra-hip cover version. While nothing screams “writer’s block” louder than “reinterpretations” of other people’s material, especially following an EP of semi-improvised material, we have to cut Yo La Tengo a little slack. Five of the six songs on this EP are covers. A beautiful, mysterious, and shocking book.” - Nancy E.Yo La Tengo are full of surprises, aren’t they? Hot on the heels of summer’s We Have Amnesia Sometimes EP, which consisted of five ambient instrumental pieces, recorded on one microphone while adhering to New Jersey’s social distancing regulations, we now have Sleepless Night. “De Moor’s novel is encased in calm, its surfaces appearing to be safe - until they suddenly crack open like thin ice beneath our feet. There are layers of meaning here, which with adroit subtlety de Moor lets the reader puzzle out for themselves.” - Claire Fuller, author of Swimming Lessons and Bitter Orange De Moor’s book is sensual and spare, whether she’s writing about love, a walk in an ice forest, or baking a cake in the middle of the night. “This novel is a subtle, enigmatic, and beautiful elegy to a husband and marriage that ends in tragedy. ![]() the book is a treatise on one individual’s womanhood.” - Kirkus Reviews In both its rich and unapologetic descriptions of domesticity and frank attitude toward sex. it is unhurried and assured no word is wasted. ![]() Sleepless Night is a meditative novel where the seemingly mundane reveals itself to be the harbinger of profound insights.” - Foreword Reviews Delivers insightful ruminations on marriage, love, love lost, and the unsolved mysteries lurking underneath the surface of everyday lives. Clever foreshadowing and ingeniously placed clues create suspense. “The questions of love, marriage, and mortality come to life in Margriet de Moor’s poignant novel Sleepless Night. An extraordinary accomplishment.” - Library Journal “Quiet, unrushed, yet deeply penetrating prose.
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