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April 20, 2006
Getting Ripped
As the "alternative rock" name that Sonic Youth helped create was rapidly Marcy Play-grounded into the dirt in the late nineties, the band's major label albums felt a bit limp and most of their passion seemed reserved for their nearly impenetrable SYR EP's. The expirementally bad New York Ghosts and Flowers LP subsequently landed with a resounding thud, and it was a common assumption that the band would recede into noise-jazz wankfests. So when 2002's Murray Street was pretty damn good and 2004's Sonic Nurse was fully terrific, it was a pleasant surprise. No shock now when leaked tracks from the forthcoming follow up, Rather Ripped, make it three for three in the post-millenial consistency sweepstakes. Gone for the most part are the sheer noise blasts that were once a trademark. In their place we find an emphasis on melody and more subtle guitar in service of concise, intelligent pop songs.
What's more punk than burning out, when burning out has become a punk cliche? Aging gracefully, fucker!
Sonic Youth - What a Waste
We start with a supremely conflicted Kim Gordon giving a case for squaresville;
"Hey give me hollow stimulation/ It's so sleazy to be free/ Let's invest in dull creation/ Thrill city cheap legacy"Then before we have a chance to even consider, the distortion voiced Anti-Conscience comes in to mock with, "What a waste/ To be so chaste/ I can't wait/ To taste your face." While she admits her confusion renders the picture "as clear as mud" it is gloriously apparent that the following bridge at the 2:20 mark features one of Kim's most beautiful Nico-hoarse peformances in the group's sizable catalog.
Sonic Youth - Incinerate
Here, an even keeled vocal by Thurston Moore and Steve Shelley's subdued but steady drumming serve as anchor to a deceptively dynamic guitar workout. The half-melody and casual delivery of a number of "I'm burnin' up" lyrical variations might suggest that the elder statesmen were phoning it in, but the sheer proficiency of the guitar arrangement is incredible. Swinging around a basic motif, TM and wingman Lee Ranaldo are continually in flux, erupting into solos and falling back in line at will. I could listen to these two digress into the night indefinitely...wait a second! Did Sonic Youth turn me into a jam band fan? If so, can I sue?
Sonic Youth - Do You Believe in Rapture?
Pre-album interviews suggest that this track was inspired by the perfectly legitimate qualms one might have over the fact that the country is being run by folks that are just killing time waiting for the impending End of Days. Thurston here gives one of his most overtly pretty line readings, detailing apocalyptic imagery in a lilting tone;
"Terrible hit comes today/ Terrible hit for the parade/ Burning eyes see Jesus coming/ Jesus comes to pave the way/ Do you believe in Rapture, babe?"Behind him, creeping distortion and icy, oddly strummed guitar (evoking a harp, perhaps?) cut down on the duplicitous vocal pleasantry. After a brief snippet of Velvets guitar chug, it's back to an unsettling background until its finish. Fitting, I mean shouldn't the end of the world be a bad thing, after all?
Well, I might not believe in Rapture myself, but in the midst of a renaissance topped only by the holy EVOL, Sister, Daydream Nation trinity, I have every reason to believe in Sonic Youth.
Rather Ripped is released June 13th on Geffen Records.
Visit the band's offical site here.
Tags: Sonic Youth, Rather Ripped
Posted by Jeff Klingman at April 20, 2006 09:55 AM
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