<P> The album's range of power and soft elements was noted . Writing for Entertainment Weekly, David Browne said that, while the band has always been "adept at striking a balance between hurricane - force dissonance and fragile serenity", Yo La Tengo "crack open their sound even wider here . Their muted, after - hours guitar drone is in full effect (...) As adults who still need to make a racket, they remain addicted to noise, but now the trio integrates the feedback into the arrangements, like squalls rumbling in the distance ." Dele Fadele of NME also praised the open - ended nature of the album, but criticized the instrumental "Spec Bebop" for being "constructed around some hurtful feedback, to end up as an endurance test ." In a very positive review, Jason Josephes of Pitchfork praised the album for exploring new directions, commenting that the band takes its "sonic inventions to new levels ." </P> <P> Beating as One was ranked number 5 in The Village Voice's 1997 Pazz & Jop critics' poll, the band's highest position to date . In the poll's accompanying essay, Christgau referred to the album as one of his "favorite albums of the year, easy", alongside those by Pavement, Sleater - Kinney, and Arto Lindsay . Similarly, editors of NME magazine placed the album at number 19 in their albums of the year list for 1997, while Spin journalists placed the album at number 8 in their list of Top 20 Albums of the Year . </P> <P> Retrospectively, Beating as One is widely regarded as the band's best work . AllMusic reviewer Fred Thomas described it as "a definitive master statement . The subtly shifting moods and wide, curious palette of stylistic exploration resulted in a lasting indie rock classic, essential listening and also something of a blueprint for much of what followed from like - minded bands for years to come ." The A.V. Club editor John Krewson remarked that the album marked the point when the band started to "(dabble) on electronica" with songs such as "Moby Octopad" and "Autumn Sweater", calling it "an example of a band having great fun exploring the possibilities of pop music ." In his review of the band's 2003 album Summer Sun, Christgau praised Beating as One as Yo La Tengo's "career album", commenting that "It's no challenge or insult to state categorically that they'll never top it ." In 2017, Pitchfork writer Marc Hogan described the record as the band's "first true masterpiece ." </P> <P> The album is frequently included on several publications' best album lists . In 1999, it was ranked number 78 on Spin's list of The 90 Greatest Albums of the' 90s . In 2003, Pitchfork ranked it number 25 on its list of the Top 100 albums of the 1990s . Similarly, Rolling Stone placed the record at number 86 on its 2010 compilation of 100 Best Albums of the Nineties . In 2012, the album appeared at number 22 in Paste's list of The 90 Best Albums of the 1990s . </P>

Yo la tengo i can hear the heart beating as one full album