Some music has the ability to induce a daydream state in the listener – it causes the eyes to glaze over, one’s breathing to slow down and allows for the mind to forget itself. The melodies do not seek to excite emotions or to stimulate great extremes of feeling; rather, they exist to remove anxieties and to replicate the carelessness of a midday fantasy. Fade, with its hushed vocals and blues guitar fills, seeks to recreate this trance-like state. At its best moments, Yo La Tengo’s latest album skilfully manages to send the listener into a daydream; yet such is the delicacy of this mood that the album occasionally falls short; instead of forgetful bliss, one is sometimes left with merely a dull wooziness.

The opening track, ‘Ohm’, characterises the sound of the record. Utilising only one riff, fuzzy guitars underpin lethargic, almost spoken-word, vocals. The repetition is hypnotising and is only broken by a solo that emerges, unprovoked and unexpected, three minutes in. ‘Two Trains’ is similarly mesmerizing – sending the listener into a reverie with the subtle variations of its synth melody; ringing out alongside the synth is a smooth descending guitar riff that suggests intoxication and an indolent kind of melancholy. On ‘Cornelia and Jane’, slow bending guitar strings and deep sonorous brass achieve what Fade sets out to do: to replicate the delight and escape of the daydream.

Unfortunately, for every song capable of producing this elusive condition in the listener, there is another that becomes engulfed in its own monotony. Tracks like ‘I’ll Be Around’ and ‘Stupid Things’ become repetitive quickly, and leave the listener yearning for a hard-hitting riff. The squealing, erratic guitar sounds that open ‘Paddle Forward’ raise the listener’s hopes, only for this intriguing strangeness to be silenced by soft indie rock. Sometimes, Fade leaves the listener yearning for the iconic, hushed vocals of Yo La Tengo to break out into a scream.

Lyrically, marriage and time are the themes that dominate the record. Although there are no insights that fluster the listener with their brilliance, there are absorbing moments on tracks like ‘Is That Enough’ when the music and lyrics intertwine beautifully – a barely audible distorted guitar plays underneath pleasant strings to reflect the doubt of the vocalist: "It’s still unclear the way I feel for you."

Yo La Tengo’s latest effort is in line with previous releases, and fans will certainly enjoy the soft vocals, muted brass and simple riffs that pervade Fade. As a band, they are capable of constructing captivating songs that initiate periods of blissful emptiness in the listener. However, the unity and consistency of sound on this album, which will no doubt please existing fans, will probably be seen as wearisome by newcomers. Ultimately, despite its occasional flatness, Fade should be valued for the rare pleasure tracks like ‘Two Trains’ and ‘Cornelia and Jane’ produce – the album’s finest periods are not when it stimulates great emotion, but when it extinguishes feeling.