Sonic Youth - the Eternal

I love the Sonic Youth. I remember seeing them play in the street at the Sunset Junction several years ago as I stood on the bottom of a ferris wheel and they rocked it! Since then they recorded some softer records ("Sonic Nurse" & "Murray Street"), but "the Eternal" marks a return to the more traditional sound for Sonic Youth. Your mom will again ask you: "What's that noise?!" This record is way more aggressive, dirty, and experimental and recalls the New York indie rock sound of the late-80s and early 90s.

I've been hearing Sacred Trixter for a few months now and you probably have been as well. It took a while for me to come around on it, but I like it a lot now and find Kim's voice just as fiesty as ever. Gritty guitar sound and snarky lyrics abound on other tracks like Leaky Lifeboat, Antenna, and What We Know. The swirling sounds show Sonic Youth still to be at the top of the heap in an era where most releases are weak by comparison. They do cross the hokey barrier on occasion (Poison Arrow), but it is at a minimum.
If you're looking for a new record to play really loud, then Sonic Youth has given us all that again and hopefully can spur a release of more aggressive music into this world scmindie crap that modern independent music has become.

Grade: 8.1

Camera Obscura - My Maudlin Career

Camera Obscura has always been one of the bands I could really never get into, although I’ve always admired Tracyanne Campbell’s very distinct and very captivating voice. On the Scottish sextet’s latest, My Maudlin Career, we find Camera Obscura reaching to far away places for inspiration, most notable being the Motown sound of the late 1950’s and pop of the early 1960’s (e.g. Lesley Gore). On the very first track, “French Army” we’re swooned by Campbell’s simplistic yet catchy declaration of a broken heart, "I wanted to control it. But love, I couldn’t hold it.” Campbell’s ability to wear her emotions on her sleeve adds a level of depth and maturity not really seen on CO’s previous work. I must admit it feels genuinely sincere here and the trend just continues throughout the entire album. Actually, the only track I found rather dull on the record was “Swans” but even this one isn’t a complete waste. “Swans” is more playful, upbeat number but lacks any real excitement or direction. Another of my other favorite tracks is “James.” Both haunting and soft, this track has a bittersweet melody that clearly shows the scars on Campbell’s heart when she belts, “Oh James, you broke me. I thought I knew you well” (can someone get the girl a kleenex?).

My Maudlin Career might not be for everyone with its soulful feel and luscious melodies but I’m sure anyone with an appreciation for honest, interesting music (otherwise known as Bell and Sebastian fans) will love this record. This record with its raw sound mixed with lavish strings and strong indie pop sensibility creates the perfect amalgamation between the past and present. The music could almost be described as being somniferous (the best word my thesaurus could offer up) but I don’t mean that to be a negative about the album. It’s hypnotic, melodic and quite frankly an enjoyable listening experience.
Standout Tracks: "James" "French Navy" “My Maudlin Career"
Grade: 7.9