For those with only a passing interest in Sonic Youth this will come as a shock. For those who have followed their career more closely, and specifically Thurston Moore’s this is the logical follow-up to Trees Outside The Academy. It’s in a similar vein but without the jarring bursts of noise.
Produced by his doppelganger Beck, noise is completely absent here. Samara Lubelski, who provided violin playing on Moore’s previous solo album, is again prominent, right from the incredibly comfortable sounding opening track Benediction. It’s drenched in her Bryter Layter (Nick Drake album) style violin.
The playing on this album on tracks like Illuminine and Blood Never Lies is delicate and subtle with some pretty harp plucking as well as the aforementioned guitars and violin. Even faster tracks like Circulation – akin to Wonderful Witches off the last solo album has a lovely haunting outtro.
Particularly pretty is Orchard Street, with a satisfying acoustic chord pattern and more ‘Bryter Layter’ strings wigging out gently towards the end. In a similar vein is In Silver Rain With a Paper Key – insistent acoustic strumming with nice singing and beautiful harp playing, and Mina Loy has Morricone-sque whistling in it. The influence of Beck is most keenly felt on Space, which has echoes of his Sea Change album, specifically Round The Bend.
It’s all very unhurried. Trees Outside the Academy was so successful because it was a breath of fresh air, an unexpected triumph out of the blue. There was room for a bit of fuzz, heavier drums in places. This is a little same-y, with little variation between tracks and little progression from Trees. It sounds like Sonic Youth unplugged.
Is this the Sonic Youth album you can play for your parents? Or rather parents’ parents? Sonic Middle Age?! Not demolished thoughts, more of a demolished thought.
By Killian Laher.
Track Listing:
1. Benediction
2. Illuminine
3. Circulation
4. Blood Never Lies
5. Orchard Street
6. In Silver Rain With a Paper Key
7. Mina Loy
8. Space
9. January
10. This Train Is Bound For Glory (iTunes Bonus Track)
