Funky Post-Everything Tunes
‘The Eternal’ is Sonic Youth’s 15th album and the first since they escaped corporate label Geffen Records and signed to the more relaxed Matador. It’s pretty much what you would expect from Sonic Youth; a mass of seething riffs, jagged melodies, jingling, jangling guitars and chanting vocals - phew! It may be another characteristic Sonic Youth record but it’s certainly a good one full of vibrant energy and packed with big tunes.
‘Anti-Orgasm’ is probably the first number to really blow your mind. It’s the story of 60’s Berlin model and activist Uschi Obermeier told in 6 minutes of frenetic, swaggering guitar riffs, stabbing vocal chants “anti-war is anti-orgasm” and rocking guitar breakdowns that would shake even the dead into life. It’s a real indie tune from the time before indie described any softcore guitar music that wasn’t suitable to be described as rock. ‘Leaky Lifeboat’ continues the brash poetic rock, referencing the beat poet Gregory Corso who described the Earth as a leaky lifeboat, it’s a spikey, jangly tune with plenty of attitude.
There are a good number of blustery rock tunes like, ‘What We Know’ which simply simmers with angry rock action and ‘Poison Arrow’ with its jagged, fun and lively guitar riffs that hook you into the mellow but mysterious tune. ‘Thunderclap for Bobby Pyn’ manages to add some surf rock cool and amusing rhyming couplets to the mix, “Can you smell trouble? Libraries of rubble”. While other bands churn out 3 minute pop tunes, Sonic Youth mix brief catchy tunes with longer and more experimental numbers like, ‘Massage the History’ and ‘Antenna’ but it’s also clear that everything they write has plenty of soul, whatever its length.
Between the quirky avant-garde indie and summery indie pop vibes it’s clear that Sonic Youth have created another brilliant album full of funky, non-conformist musical gems. It’s probably hard to rate Sonic Youth’s massive output objectively and easier to pick your favourite album in terms of your favourite tunes but there’s bound to be plenty to please anyone who appreciates the group’s work on this new album.