Murray Street by Sonic Youth

Pros: One of Sonic Youth's most focused and accessible, yet uncompomising, records ever.

Cons: "Plastic Sun" - Kim's sorry attempt to claim more stagetime on a Thurston-dominated album.

The Bottom Line: Compact and powerful, "Murray Street" is a terrific reminder of what makes Sonic Youth one of the relevant rock bands out there, more than 20 years into their career.

Review: There’s a black hole at the heart of Sonic Youth’s 2002 masterpiece “Murray Street”. It’s a place where, for nearly ten minutes, layers of unhinged guitars swirl and meander – at times emitting showers of ear-blowing screeches, but moving almost ...

Pros: "Disconnection Notice", "Plastic Sun", "Rain On Tin"

Cons: Very, very few -- probably just nitpicky actually.

The Bottom Line: A much better record than any Rock band that's been around 21 years deserves.

Review: It doesn't come as any surprise to me that I love the new Sonic Youth record. Nostalgia has proved a much stronger pull than any objective assessment since Goo. That being said, their relevance raises suspicion after 21 years of being a creative...

Pros: Not a single weak track to be found.

Cons: Seven tracks is simply not enough to quench my thirst.

The Bottom Line: A good start into Sonic Youth for whoever hasn't been blessed aurally with Daydream Nation.

Review: what more could i expect from the aging group that once delivered us alternative rock into our homes? i thought the band quite dead after 2000's dreary experiment with beat poetry and slabschtick experiments gone wrong on 'nyc ghosts & flowers' (to be ...

Pros: Lighthearted experimental rock, with an edge at times

Cons: Different

The Bottom Line: Not the group's best release, but definitely one of their best.

Review: Listening to this album after only having heard Sonic Youth's other release "Daydream Nation", "EVOL", "Sister" and "Bad Moon Rising", I was gratified and struck by its mellow beauty, but I thought it was definitely a shift from these earlier, more fiery...