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I think the "devolve" thing is sort of accurate. However, I don't think it was at all unintentional. It was a natural progression, in one sense, but somehow ended up somewhere behind where they started. They've always run a circuit through anti-pop and borderline-pop, and were bound to cross through the territory covered in RR. I'm not sure if that makes sense, but I'm glad they went the course their progression/regression/whatever did instead of trying to one-up themselves or go straight ahead. It just seems right. They've been circling that way since Murray Street.
RR is not necessarily an attempt at anything, but an inevitable "space" they were approaching, and filled it as always. Just like EJTNS (which I loved, but that's a whole other thing). They're bound to hit some spots that grate against fans, and most of the people I've met recently who "like Sonic Youth" only like Turquoise Boy and Incinerate, so they're doing something right, just not what we wanted.
I also think that Trees Outside was the departure from RR that I expected from SY next. I wonder if that will give the next SY album even more distance.
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