The BRAG's Album Of The Week: Thurston Moore
Thurston
Trees Outside the Academy
Four Stars
4 stars
From the first twenty seconds of album opener ‘Frozen Gtr’, you brace yourself for the ensuing wall-of-feedback associated with noise-godfather Thurston Moore. The siren wails from the distorted guitar. It echoes like a whale song. But away it falls to reveal a haunting violin and acoustic guitar, bowed and strummed, not with aggression but with an air of romanticism. This opening track foreshadows the tone of the solo project Thurston, and his album Trees Outside The Academy.
Thurston brings together Steve Shelley, violinist Samara Lubelski, J Mascis et al to collaborate on his album. Together they contribute to a number of charming songs, leaving behind the effects pedals and focus on delivering each song with vulnerability, leaving it at times almost bare.
‘Honest James’ is one such example. At first impressions it seems an acoustic instrumental, until it unfolds as a beautiful duet with Christina Carter. Other highlights include ‘Fri/End’, the more physical title instrumental ‘Trees Outside The Academy’ and the fast/slow ‘Wonderful Witches + Language Meanies’.
Last year’s Rather Ripped showed long time fans that Sonic Youth have grown from the avant-noise cocoon they had been stuck in for awhile. Thurston has spent all this time out in front, but still hiding behind his fringe and noise. This album gives the listener a stripped back and, albeit brief, personal look into the other side of Thurston Moore.
If I were to have a son one day, he would be called Thurston.
CMog
http://www.thebragmag.com/reviews/th...he-week-th.php