Yo La Tengo have finally reached the upper echelon of society-- yuppies! Amidst our flaring economy, the cash-obsessed, egocentric "elite" have more cash to blow than ever before, and you know what that means: they're hip! Especially in major American cities, these wealthy professionals are flocking to upscale outlets such as Borders, Barnes and Noble and other places with lots of fancy faux-oak shelving to purchase their copies of And Then Nothing Turned Itself Inside-Out.

But if there's anything we've learned about these socially-, culturally-, economically-, and apparently now, musically-conscious individuals is that they'll only flock to something for one of three reasons: 1) the hype is overwhelming, 2) it's the biggest, most expensive, highest-quality item of its kind, 3) Eric, the office trendsetter, recommended it. My question is, where does Yo La Tengo fit into this picture? A conspiracy theorist might conclude that some high-ranking Matador executive slipped a few copies of Inside-Out into the offices of large mortgage companies, advertising firms, and stockbrokers. Sadly, it's probably much simpler than that.

For years, Yo La Tengo have cranked out incredibly diverse albums with songs ranging from gentle western twang, to noise-fueled indie anthems, to lengthy, distortion-soaked instrumental epics. What could Sarah Jessica Parker types possibly want with the kind of speaker-rattling guitar buzz this Hoboken, New Jersey trio have delivered in the past? Uh... nothing, actually. That's why they're scooping up Inside-Out. Allow me to elaborate:

Yo La Tengo haven't changed their sound at all since their 1997 classic I Can Hear the Heart Beating as One, they've just eliminated the noise. "Upbeat" is no longer a recognized word for these three. Instead, this is an album filled with songs in the vein of I Can Hear the Heart's "Shadows," Electr-O-Pura's "The Hour Grows Late," and the droning seven-minute version of "Big Day Coming" off Painful. And nothing else.

So it makes sense when you consider the music-buying trends of the upper class. In the early 90's, they were all over Enigma, the Eagles, Billy Joel and Steely Dan. 10 years later, society's emphasis on remaining "with it" throughout your mid-30s has become overwhelming. From the stylish alternativeness of "Ally McBeal" and "Sex in the City" to the colorful chic of Ikea, the well-to-do's obsession with being fashionable has infiltrated every aspect of their lives.

While bland VH-1 genericism still rules over the majority of rich, white folks, they're catching on-- the Flaming Lips' The Soft Bulletin, the Cocteau Twins' Milk and Kisses, Beck's Mutations, and Mercury Rev's Deserter's Songs have all become big sellers in their demographic. Of course, this doesn't mean true music fans can't enjoy it, too. Oh, sure, we're used to a slightly different Yo La Tengo-- one that once burned through rockers like "From a Motel 6," "False Alarm," and "Sugarcube," and kept it loud even during the quiet tracks.

So, among Inside-Out's sea of gentle lullabies, it's easy to long for the stunning diversity this band is known for. However, it's clear they were shooting for something different this time around. After 15 years of recording the same kinds of music, you can't blame them for going out on a limb. In fact, we should trust them. After all, it's not like they don't know what they're doing.

The album's cover depicts quiet dusk in a common outer suburb. Electrical wires stretch over a standard one-story home. The backyard is crowded with pine trees. To the far right, almost out of the picture, a man stands at the end of the driveway, a spot of light beaming down around him from the darkening sky above. It's a traditional image of alien abduction that encapsulates the peaceful ringing of the record's gently-picked electric guitars and serene vocals. Of course, Yo La Tengo realize the humor in the picture-- the liner notes show the same man mowing crop circles into the grass of a nearby plain.

The cover proves the band's intentions behind the music-- they were aiming for a departure. And if this departure means turning the volume down and heading into Galaxie 500 territory, they've achieved their goal. Despite Inside-Out's tendency to fade to background music during the first couple of listens, the album features few songs in need of omission. Only the album's later material seems less inspired. "Madeline," at times, recalls the melody of the album's only driving, uptempo rock track, "Cherry Chapstick." The rhythmic instrumental "Tired Hippo," while an excellent fit on this record, could have been better served as a b-side. And of course, everyone's biggest gripe, the 17 minute-long closing track, "Night Falls on Hoboken," doesn't do them any justice when compared with their past epics.

Regardless, the first three-quarters of Inside-Out contains some of Yo La Tengo's best work to date. As a whole, however, it may be one of their less ear-catching records. If recorded by an aspiring young band, Inside-Out would be deemed the next big thing by all music press. However, people are used to Ira Kaplan's masterful electric assaults and the broad range of sounds that generally appear in spades on Yo La Tengo's LPs. Still, this record is among the best I've heard so far this year, and will likely remain that way.

-Ryan Schreiber