Sonic Youth - Murray Street

Murray Street is a party record. Not like Andrew W.K. is a party record, but a party record in the sense that when you get a bunch of your friends over for a few drinks and lively discussions you could easily put on Murray Street for the backdrop. That's not to say that it's a complete non-confrontational album. It has it's moments that would make the room fall silent and soak in the music. Like about 4 minutes or so into "Rain On Tin" the slow languid buildup really takes off. "Radical Adults Lick Godhead" falls into the same category but draws out the buildup a little longer. Murray Street has it's share of kitschy songs too - like "Plastic Sun" with it's spastic guitar and nonsensical lyrics. Of course, those three songs aren't the only standouts of the seven, every song has something redeeming about it but overall it's not an album you'd pop into the car CD player and take a long trip with. It works better as an album hanging around in the air occasionally interrupting to remind you that it's not all atmosphere. The lack of manstyle points comes from the almost too subtle nature of some of the songs and the ability to forget that they're even there. Not being a longtime Sonic Youth fan it's hard to describe what era of their career this album mostly relates to, but it definetly does the group justice as a master of their sound - whatever it may be. The production is top notch, the musicianship is pretty masterful even when it's just subtle squelching feedback. [www.sonicyouth.com]