It is necessary to recognize the gods and goddesses who are walking among us. For me, it is easy to spot them in the music. Each of their albums is like a little crown on the top of their aura. Listening to their music is a prevention from crowning. It is an antidote for frowning.
Ex frontman of Sonic Youth released his second solo crown since the band’s breakup, and the fifth solo album overall. He gathered the crowd he was working for on the predecessor The Best Day – bassist Debbie Googe from My Bloody Valentine, guitarist James Sewards from Nought and long term Sonic Youth colleague drummer Steve Shelley.
Because of their previous collaborations, the album sounds like a true mutual effort, and the group is compact, confident, balanced, simple and better. What Rock N Roll Consciousness offers is 43 minutes of exploration of the utmost boundaries of rock converged into only five songs. Moore decided to take the experimentation to the next level and bring it to its maximum potential. Throughout the record, you can hear interplay of noisy rock ‘n’ roll, indie rock, post-punk, blues, kraut-rock and even metal.
Two songs are stepping out the 10-minute frame: Exalted, where two guitars share the spotlight and create a tense atmosphere with drums, and Turn On which offers transitions from one genre to another. The later on sounds like a top-notch jamming session, with rhythm section holding all guitars under control. Nothing can disrupt the equilibrium. The most dynamic number on the album is Cusp in which all the members have a chance to shine, while Smoke Of Dreams is the more placid song, but it delivers the best guitar solo ever.
The closing track Aphrodite is the most experimental one. Distorted guitars bring malicious sound, and the song ends in dark, repetitive melody. Another representative release in the abundant discography of indie rock veterans. The fans will love it, I am sure. I was always a fan of Sonic Youth, so I took their breakup really hard. But Thurston Moore’s solo works make me believe in other forms of love.
