June 7, 2004 by A.S. Van Dorston

People talk about Sonic Youth being in a slump, but Murray Street was hardly chopped liver. It surpassed the slightly overrated Washing Machine and arguably sits comfortably between Goo and Dirty based on the strength of its highlights. Sonic Nurse may not continue an ascending creative arc, but it’s pretty close in quality to their last one. I was hoping they would rock out in a way they haven’t since Daydream Nation, but they’re not spring chickens anymore, so we’ll have to settle for the tidbits of restrained abandon, which is about one can expect from a band that’s been active for 24 years.

The attraction on this album is the groove and melodicism. The second track (“Unmade Bed”) sounds like a Marvin Gaye rhythm track, with Thurston Moore’s vocals actually sounding pretty and melancholy. Kim Gordon is still doing her screechy riot-gramma yowl which can grate at times, but we love her just the same. The following few tracks have some alluring chiming guitar tones, particularly “Stones,” which threatens to break loose at five minutes with some crazed solos, though they’re reigned in within twenty seconds. It’s nice to hear Lee Renaldo’s voice on “Paper Cup Exit,” possibly the most raucous, noisy track. It was so good I played it twice. The album closes with an appropriately long build-up, with gentle picking and Thurston sounding all soft and pretty again (we can tell who wears the pants in his family), before the guitars take over. Right around four minutes they reach a peak and pause. “I Love You Golden Blue” drifts in like ambient fog, with Kim Gordon whispering the lyrics. It’s one of Sonic Youth’s most ethereal tracks of their career, and could possibly be an album highlight. I’m also partial to the opener “Pattern Recognition,” which references one of my faborite writers, William Gibson’s book of the same title just came out in 2003, the first in his Blue Ant trilogy. While on the last album they called back on Television’s Marquee Moon, this one more recalls the crystalline sounds of Adventure. While the songs are shiny and fresh, it’s still comforting to hear their voices and signature instrumental styles. I couldn’t imagine hearing this group any other way.