Sonic Youth - Murray Street

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• SONIC YOUTH MURRAY STREET

Music reviews of Murray Street

Music Review: This may take a while...
Rating: 4 Stars

Anyway, what does the album sound like, you might ask? Well, if I say so myself, pretty great. My own personal experience indicated that this album requires an ear for detail and repeated listens to get into, so I recommend to any listeners that they give this album some time and attention before rendering a judgement one way or another. Based on what I've read, this album isn't as extravagant or adventurous as Sonic Youth's previous work, but that doesn't mean it's without its charm.

"Murray Street" as a whole has a rather trippy and melodic vibe; I could even go so far as to describe much of the material here as "laid-back," but not at all in a bad way. The musicianship here is very high-quality, but the band members clearly aren't out to beat you over the head with their chops; one reason this album took me a while was because the subtleties of the music were gradually revealed to me with each subsequent listen. Traditional pop song structures can be found here, but the band can also launch into extended, improvised-sounding instrumental passages with equal success. Of special note are the mind-bending guitar solos that leave no doubt as to why Thurston Moore and Lee Ranaldo were both ranked in the top forty of Rolling Stone's list of the 100 greatest guitarists of all time (I personally thought that list was somewhat of a travesty, but making it is still pretty impressive).

The band may have three skilled guitarists, but awe-inspiring, Hendrix-style displays of technical prowess are not to be found. Instead, Thurston and company reveal themselves to be masters of atmosphere. When every member gets locked in together and those guitars intertwine, it makes for some truly transcendent listening. "Radical Adults Lick Godhead Style," which I found to be the most accessible and "rocking" song on here, is an excellent guitar song that displays equal amounts of virtuosity and efficiency. The jagged lead lines and angular hooks are sure to get your head bobbing, and they're enhanced by mesmerizing background atmospherics that propel the song to dizzying heights. When Sonic Youth reach that perfect middle ground between conventional and experimental rock, it makes for some of best listening of the past few years.

The other songs on "Murray Street" aren't quite as immediate, but they're a taste worth acquiring. "The Empty Page" and "Disconnection Notice" may sound easygoing on first listen, but there's an abundance of intricate, fascinating noise roiling beneath the surface. "Rain On Tin" and "Karen Revisited" start out in a similar manner before shifting gears and turning into prolonged guitar-led jams. "Karen Revisited" goes on a bit too long IMO, but "Rain On Tin" is a prime example of the joy of unpredictability, and may well be the best song here. Kim Gordon's punkish, riot-grrrrrl "Plastic Sun" is a short burst of adrenaline that provides some much-needed aggression late in the album. In contrast, Kim's closing, nine-minute epic "Sympathy For The Strawberry" is one of the most elegant songs I've heard lately, with a shimmering guitar freakout eventually giving way to her very pretty, almost childlike vocals.

As I've already noted, "Murray Street" isn't for everybody. This isn't pop, so if you tend to form an opinion on songs within a minute of the first time you hear them it may not be for you. However, I think one of the most compelling qualities of "Murray Street" is the way it forces you to *listen* to each song from beginning to end. I give this album a hearty recommendation to those who want to hear some rock with brains.

Description of Murray Street

Alternative Rock CDs

• Music > Styles
• Pop
• Rock