Murray Street
Sonic Youth
DGC Records Inc.
Here they come again -- armed with poetry, badly tuned guitars and finely tuned ears for noise. Sonic Youth has a new album. Yes, the gang's all here: Lee Ranaldo, Steve Shelley, Kim Gordon and Thurston Moore. They have returned to us with the first official mention of Jim O'Rourke as a bandmate in the album's credits. Sonic Youth has swayed back and forth between avant garde noise rock like Goo or Silver Sessions For Jason Knuth and their more punky, indie-rock efforts like the critically acclaimed Daydream Nation or Confusion is Sex.
This album does not seem to be an attempt at recapturing Daydream Nation, but more a return to the Daydream Nation feeling of adults. They are wiser, more seasoned and show that they have grown, but not forgotten.
Some critics have begun to accuse Murray Street as being an album of compromise between the indie rock fans and the noise rock fans. I am not certain if I agree; nonetheless, I do not complain. They are not the thrashy band they started out as. They have tamed that side a bit, but it wouldn't be correct to infer that Murray Street is a tame album -- it is still Sonic Youth. This album is more radio friendly.
Murray Street is a perfect illustration of the two meanings of the word "album." Contrary to most Sonic Youth albums, this one is more of a collection of songs with little connection or feel between them, while previous albums like NYC Ghosts and Flowers or Daydream Nation contain a certain cohesion between tracks that make the album a single piece of art.
Although the songs might not have that connection that I was hoping for, Murray Street is a collection of great song -- maybe some of Sonic Youth's best. Even the Kim Gordon songs were good, which is very rare. And the great influence of new member Jim O'Rourke introduces Sonic Youth to the notion of brevity.
Sonic Youth has created another incredible album of noise and rock.
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