The Eternal

Band/Artist: Sonic Youth
Label: Matador Records
Website: www.sonicyouth.com/

Eternally youthful

After playing in the big leagues for quite some time Sonic Youth now make their Matador Records debut with the adventurous and punked up The Eternal. The record is number sixteen in their catalog but feels as fresh as when they made EVOL [1986].

Sure the album is cleaner and more produced but the overall vibe is fuzzed up and gritty with commanding leads from Kim Gordan and Thurston Moore. Out of all of Sonic Youth's releases this decade, The Eternal most sounds like Sonic Youth. From the opening rocker "Sacred Trickster" into the power and dueling vocals on "Anti-Orgasm", you get the picture right away that this record is coming from a different place.

For longtime fans, this energy will be embraced and given that this is 2009, Sonic Youth use all of their veteran status to make this record work and yet offer their many different sides. This is none more evident then on the almost ten minute closer "Massage The History" as they still show no matter how "punk" they can be, no one can structure a song with the multitude of soundscapes and details as Sonic Youth.

This is what makes them a classic and this is what makes The Eternal a keeper!

Christopher Anthony

For more of Christopher Anthony's music reviews, check out The Fire Note

To see a preview sampler for 'The Eternal' by Sonic Youth, click the play button below

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