June 13, 2006 by A.S. Van Dorston

I can’t say I haven’t been at least slightly disappointed by any of Sonic Youth’s albums since 1988’s Daydream Nation. But it hasn’t been just 18 years of disappointment. Once I reckoned with the fact that they will never rock they way they used to, I’ve been enjoying their 21st Century rennaissance, starting with the remarkably consistent Murray Street (2002) that may seem subdued, but there’s a strong case that it’s their fifth best record, edging out Dirty (1992). Sonic Nurse (2004) is nearly as great. This time, Jim O’Rourke has left the band and they’ve returned to a subtly looser sound. The differences are hard to notice though. Some songs are pretty, some are spooky, and while they still don’t quite rage like they used to, “Incinerate” builds up to at least a threatening dust devil, balanced by plenty of beauty with the Adventure-era Television chiming guitars, ending up with one of their best tracks in fifteen years. The Kim Gordon-lead “Jams Runs Free” is one of their most succinct, under 4:00, with a great noise solo that ends with a hook. The more sprawling “Pink Steam” is chock full of the kind of lyrical guitar solos that you just don’t get with the first era Sonic Youth, and has excellent replay value, as does another highlight, “Reena.” Possibly the band is winding down (they’ve been at it for 28 years after all), but their artistic force remains strong and deserves a listen.