SO, I finally listened to this for the first time yesterday, and so far I'm pleased. I like hearing Steve's drumming swell and pulse around these songs. His style on this album feels very
Sonic Nurse-y to me. I'm liking what I'm hearing, for sure.
I think as far as Thurston albums go, his biggest departure from his traditional style,
Trees Outside the Academy is probably my favorite, if only because it offers up something that you can't get anywhere else.
But for a Sonic Youth-y jam, this album sounds like it was more well thought-through than
Demolished Thoughts. Not sure how I'd line it up with
The Best Day or
Psychic Hearts yet, but I really love both of those albums, so the fact that I'm not sure is a good sign.
Honestly, I wasn't expecting to like it very much.
I loved "Chelsea's Kiss," and I thought "Cease fire" had a nice crunch to it, but as much as I hate to say it, Thurston's been getting on my nerves a bit in recent years. He just floods Facebook with shit from two different accounts, and seems to be going through some kind of delayed adolescence in terms of his propensity for obnoxiousness.
He's also starting to look a bit like a puffy-faced Willlem Dafoe (evil in a sleepy way), and none of this is very palatable to me. But I'm happy to say that this seems like a winner. Is it re-treaded ground? Well...
yah. But it's also nice to hear sounds like these in 2017, when everything either seems to be diluted Beyincé or diluted Kanye or formerly promising indie bands grasping at straws or becoming legacy acts.
I am glad I ordered this, and glad I gave it a chance. I did so half expecting to want to turn it off after five minutes, but I didn't.