All Hail Sonic Youth
Right now somewhere in the world, it's likely there is someone reading that Sonic Youth have a new album out and their immediate thought will be "Sonic Youth? They've lost it." There is also likely to be someone else who would argue that Sonic Youth never had it at all.
For the uninitiated, Sonic Youth have been making records since before some of you lot were even born. Rightly hailed as one of the leading lights of American indie, their sound throughout the years has been trademarked by caterwauling guitars and experimentation. As equally happy with slow or fast tempo, their legacy and influence will live on. 'Rather Ripped' may not have the energy of a 'Teenage Riot' or fit together as well as 'Goo' or 'Daydream Nation' but there is still an importance and relevance to their sound. Much like Neil Young, Sonic Youth keep re-emerging and proving why they are acclaimed as much as they are.
Whilst it may be fair to say that there was a spell where Sonic Youth lost their way, in recent years the band has shown a return to great song writing and guitar workouts, whilst perhaps not matching their critical heyday.
Following from on 'Murray Street' and 'Sonic Nurse', 'Rather Ripped' continues in the same vein, and truth be told, its rather good.
'Incinerate' chimes and burns with a passion that bands three quarters of Sonic Youth's age would struggle to master and the regained confidence shines throughout this record. When Kim Gordon returns to actually singing songs as opposed to coolly talking through them, it's hard to argue that the band is not approaching the modern world with some vigour.
The exit of Jim O'Rourke was also a factor that the band had to contend with on 'Rather Ripped' and many believed that the split with the man credited with the resurgence would lead to the band taking a downturn again. Thankfully, the past few albums seem to have strengthened the band and the confidence is back.
The bass lines still throb and prowl delightfully throughout the tracks with the guitars still sounding as defiantly individual as always.
From the picked strum of 'Do You Believe In Rapture?' to the dirty squalor and dig of 'Sleepin' Around' theres a lot to take from the guitar workouts and there are more than enough fretwork freakouts and overkill to satisfy most fans of the band.
As well as the afore-mentioned Gordon sung songs, with 'What A Waste' providing a rather manic edge, Thurston Moore's laconic vocals still have a fire to them that at times could be unleashed at any given moment. The unpredictability is still alive and kicking in this duo's deliveries.
Two aspects hold Sonic Youth back – a history that places them as the godfathers of American indie almost as if they shouldn't still be recording but be preserved as a museum piece for the ages, and the fact that they never split up. No one should try and say that Sonic Youth had the same sustained commercial edge that The Pixies had but the reaction and adulation that has been showered on the prodigal sons' conflicts badly with the relative indifference that Sonic Youth seem to inspire around them. For younger fans, it may be easy to picture Sonic Youth as a cross between the Pixies melodies and Mogwai's love for feedback and squalor. Fans of either act would do well to check out this record.
Sonic Youth are a complicated act who at times makes their music sound so wonderfully simple that it shouldn't be hard to categorise but it's impossible to sum them up in a few words. Just when you think they are going commercial and toning down the strangeness, an extended guitar break is just around the corner.
Perhaps the complexity is one of the reasons Sonic Youth are heralded and loved. 'Rather Ripped' may struggle in the shadows of the bands history but as a stand-alone, it fights its corner well and merely adds to the legacy that Sonic Youth will leave behind.