Yo La Tengo
bassist
James McNew
's second full-length release as
Dump
plays up the
lo-fi
elements of his one-man-band recordings a bit (the catchy opener
"Slow Down"
suffers from deliberate distortion and tape glitches), but it's overall a bit poppier and less experimental than either the full-length
Superpowerless
or the EP
International Airport
. As on all
records, the arrangements are heavy on the weedy little synths and inexpensive drum machines, which only adds to the homemade charm. Along with 15
McNew
originals in varied styles, with the sublime
"Liberty Spikes"
a particular standout,
I Can Hear Music
continues
's predilection for obscure and fascinating covers. This time out, the choices are a straightforward and lovely version of
the Fugs
'
"Morning Morning"
(with backing vocals by
Peggy Castagnes
); an oddly bouncy take on
Bob Dylan
's
"Wanted Man"
; his Hoboken neighbors
Fish and Roses
"The Letter"
; and, best of all, a stately version of
Ultravox
"Vienna"
that strips all the production gloss off the original to get at the achingly pretty melody. . [The 2013 reissue of the album includes the nine song disc that was included as an extra with the original first pressing of the album. The songs are mainly instrumentals and not essential listening, but fun all the same. Best of the lot is
's wonderful cover of
the Beach Boys
' cover of the girl group classic "I Can Hear Music." This set also includes a live version of "Swimming Pool" as a bonus.] ~ Stewart Mason~ Stewart Mason