Reviews (page 2 of 8)
It's just noise.
What I definitely didn’t expect was how this album was like pop. Wikipedia just made the genres to this album sound more experimental than they were. Like “no wave” is giving ambient anticlimactic music. Is it just instrumental sections with detuned guitars and weird chords? This album seems to lay the groundwork for their later work. Goo and Dirty seem to take that in a more mainstream rock direction. Whereas “Evol” sounds more moody and atmospheric. Combined with their tendency to make long tracks, this album isn’t really for me.
Not Sonic Youth's strongest work — their career was yet to hit full speed.
I didn’t like this as much as I expected too. I’m not sure what I was basing it on other than the astetic.
L’album a l’air sombre, ça me plaît Shadow of a doubt ! Secret girl ! Qu’est-ce qu’il est badass cet album Madonna sean and me est étrange par exemple. Ça me fait un peu penser à Swans quelque part. Et ça finir super fort ! 8/10
I did not expect Sonic Youth to be some prominent on this list. Think this is my third or 4th album. Goo and Daydream nation are fucking amazing. This isn't bad but its starting to feel like Neil Young or David Bowie with too many albums from one artist taking spots that could be used for others.
Sonic Youth are great. I don't think I could distinguish between all their records we have done but this was another hit for me.
Pretty solid. 4/5
Some parts of this sound like a broken washing machine.
Unlike an ETOL, this didn’t really take off for me.
I have been wondering if anyone pre-rock had that “fuck yea” feeling you get listening to great rock songs, like what would have to happen in 1700 for someone to get that amped that quickly. Discussed this with Frank and we discussed how that’s sort of what rock is, whereas other music makes you feel other things. Cypress Hill can make you feel you could confidently kill someone if need be. Which leads me to Sonic Youth, I don’t know what they want me to feel but I don’t particularly like it.
Our 4th SY album. And I guess 4th times the charm? Unlike a lot of the noise forward tracks, this was actually music MOST of the time. And HEY, to be clear, im all for some avant guard stuff, but there needs to be some tangible objective before abstraction is cool. Imagine if cubism before realism? Idk, im not a painter, but that at least sounds right I liked most of the album, but my favorites were Shadow Of A Doubt and Secret Girl.
Sonic Youth always sound like they're trying to be cooler than thou.
A lot of darkness on here, and enjoyed the sloppiness.
Sonic Youth has a distinct sound. This album did have any songs I was familiar with, but it had that distinct sound that made it feel right.
Teils ziemlich düster. Trotzdem hat es was
Nah mate - not just noise, but close
I don't enjoy this kind of noise rock
This was "ok." Don't really need to listen to it again.
love sonic youth but for some reason still haven't gone further back than Daydream Nation. this is great.
Besta Sonic Youth plata sem ég hef heyrt og minnst pirrandi!
Hrikalega solid plata frá Sonic Youth. Engir smellir en ekki einn veikur hlekkur. Ná algjörlega að mastera sitt sánd.
Love it
Not my thing
Not my favorite Sonic Youth album but still a 5 on this list
Solid
Some Sonic Youth I can stand. This album wasn't that, though. 2/5
Passt schon, muss auch nicht
Ahead of its time in many ways. Unrefined and not completely baked but nuggets of beauty rest hidden
This thing ripssss
Good, and I like the darker vibe of this album. I prefer other sonic youth projects.
I think this is a good album but too eerie for my personal regular enjoyment. This is the most goth sounding I’ve heard Sonic Youth sound.
I love Sonic Youth. It took me a while to get them though, discovering them after a diet of other things. It was evident to me on returning to Evol how dense and interesting their music is. I hadn’t heard this album for a while. I definitely “get” them more these days, and this is a solid SY album.
It bad but didn’t love it
This is another mid 80s band I don’t understand the appeal of. It sounds like noise for noise’s sake
It's a good solid Sonic Youth Album. Shadow of a Doubt is like something out of a Lynch movie.
*1986. *I want to like Sonic Young, but this isn't the album for me. Noisy, dissonant, dark, and a little too avant-garde for me. *Feels like maybe it would do well in some weird film score? *Not an awful listen, I just don't really 'get' it. RATING - 6/10
Drums and production reminded me of Joy Division at first. Really liked the No-Wave influence towards the end.
Not really my thing
Not a fan.
Now I am curious to see how many more Sonic Youth alums will be coming up. Is the entire discography here? I don’t mind Sonic Youth. Actually enjoy them but I wonder what other albums we are not hearing because of their contributions here. This album was much more moody, like Radiohead’s Amnesia. The groove-based pockets make the songs feel longer. Some of them the vocals are so buried (or mixed it at the same levels appearing to be buried they album become melodic instrumental. Shadow of a Doubt is a good example. There are a few up-tempo songs as well that sound more like other SY albums, such as Greenlight. Death of our Friends sounds very dissonant, which is the point. Overall, I liked this album personally, but do we need 3 Sonic Youth albums and counting…?
Random thoughts: * I was prepared to hate this. I've definitely tried on Sonic Youth before as I feel ever since 1991 people have been telling me Sonic Youth is amazing. * I was expecting more noise rock and this was more melodic than I remembered. Maybe my listening ear has matured. * There were times where the guitars seem out of tune, I assume on purpose to give it a more edgy/punk sound. Huh? * This just isn't for me. I have a thought on why Sonic Youth isn't massively popular. They're just not that good. I have really given more than enough tries for this music and it just doesn't have the musical virtuosity or songwriting that I admire. * I see that I already rated the previous two albums as 2's. Still have two more albums to go on 1001. Again, there is no need for five Sonic Youth albums on this list!!
Ya no soy tan darks para que me guste esto. Pero entiendo que fue sonido y base de una época.
Surprisingly I liked it
I tried, i really tried. There is a strong guitar band here, i liked the twin vocalists as it sounded like a conversation and i can see how other stuff built from here. But it just seems pretty basic and reliant on zeitgeist and cool to be relevant. It really struggled towards the end of the album and i perservered rather than enjoyed
Enough already
I find this kind of effortlessly cool no-wave noise rock so soothing. I could listen to it endlessly. Not sure what it is, just the texture of the music and droning quality of the whole recording is so appealing. Daydream Nation or possibly Dirty is the peak of Sonic Youth's catalogue but this is still a fucking awesome record.
no qualms with it, but no great love either
Not my favourite Sonic Youth album. Has a couple of tracks that show where the band are heading.
I could not stand this. It reminded me of the eerie soundtrack in a bad horror film: lots of discordant echoey guitars, a lack of any enjoyable melody and not a single song that I liked. I'm sure someone somewhere will say it's 'important' but it was hard to get through
Just not a fan of this band. Radiohead does the same thing a million times better so I'd rather just listen to them.
Within the first two minutes I knew this would be a 5. What a band they were.
ehh,... It's very noisy, and doesn't seem to go anywhere. I get they're being arty and whatnot, but it comes off as "we're VERY ANGRY and don't know what to do about it." There are bands that do noise and chaos and it becomes something, and then you have this. I don't really get why this is truly essential. My Rating: 2/5
2.5, this one was Hard to listen
Preferred the first half to the 2nd
sexy music
This was fine. I'm no super into the talk-singing thing, but I like the instrumentals.
Groundbreaking stuff for 1986
I like the idea of Sonic Youth better then I actually like their music.
I fuckin love the drumming on this. Is it also weird that I found it kindof relaxing? Overall though pretty wacky music innit. Those rascals 6.5 / 10 Best track/s: Bubblegum, Starpower, Death To Our Friends
I used to love Sonic Youth, but have sort of grown weary of them over the pas few years...not sure why, probably just hearing the same shit over and over. Really enjoyed this album though. Has a rawness to it that maybe is what I loved about later albums (Dirty, specifically).
I feel like this is a band that I’m “supposed” to like, but when I listen I just feel like it’s just not interesting, and it sounds like they either can’t play very well or are intentionally playing in a way that make them sound bad?
This was an interesting sound. I don't really know Sonic Youth, so this was a fun introduction to their sound and asthetic.
Sonic youth E.v.o.l Some cool noisey guitar stuff. I don’t really like the vocals, especially the apathetic vocals on songs like bubble gum- that song is bad. It’s cool and I respect it but I don’t really want to go back and listen to this most of it is pretty challenging. Favorite songs are “shadow of a doubt” and “in the kingdom #19”. 2.5
Some ok sounds but not a fan of the vocals or songwriting. Overall just nothing really great or memorable. I dont think there needs to be more than one sonic youth album on this list. 2.5
This was my least favorite Sonic Youth album. it feels extra poorly mixed and I could never get into any song
Super cool album, I need to listen to it more, though.
Meh
Noise pollution
Never was a big fan of sonic youth. This one dindt change my mind on them. All their song sounds the same to me. Im sure that their sound was revolutionary at some point but were past this point.(Im probably giga wrong on this but whatever) Eh... "Shadow of a doubt" and "Express way to your soul" are good songs. Yeah this album didnt do much to me. Maybe I will change my mind on them one day because I have 3 more sonic youth album to listen to because of this book. I wish.
More less.
Meh
I understand why people like Sonic Youth, but I’m not one of them
I appreciate sonic youth more for what they represent then I enjoy listening to their music. So I’m glad that this band in this album exist and I don’t find it defensive but it’s not something that I’m ever looking to put on.
I loved this! Guitars like The Cure, vocals like no others and… Bubblegum is a great song to end this album.
They were still finding their sound but it was getting closer. I like a lot of this album but it’s not quite there for full sonic youth power str8
went in hoping for Swans, Joy Division, PJ Harvey got The Jesus and Mary Chain or Ministry so I hated this
When I was in my early 20s and I started to really get into music, I had heard of this group called Sonic Youth and would occasionally drop it into conversation to try and garner some respect from other music fans, especially if they were older and/or female. I had hardly heard any of their stuff, but occasionally saw someone cool wearing a SY t-shirt, so thought they must be good. Now I'm in my 40s and married so no longer need to try and impress girls, I can safely say that they are not.
i've been trying to give longer reviews to albums i don't like to try to articulate on why i don't like them, but i don't really have anything to say about this; it's just boring to me. only exception is the last song which was pretty good. sonic youth have always been a pretty mediocre band to my taste, and i know i probably just don't get them, but i did expect at least a little more from this i guess. 2/5, honestly can't tell if this deserves to be on the list or not, though there is already a lot of sonic youth here
Liked every 4 and 5 stars reviews. “I’M DOING MY PART!” Really people, when will you learn difference between “taste” and “preference”? “I don’t get it, so it’s shit. Moreso — cause other people praising it, I will downgrade it.” Just why?
3.5/5
Wasn't sure what I was getting into listening to this. I assumed punk. More indy, good old fashioned 80's garage band is what it sounds like to me. I don't mind it, the mix of vocals is cool, weird, sometimes bad. And like I said - the music feels like a bunch of buddies that know how to play their instruments well are jamming in a garage in 1986. Not sure that I will ever seek this out to listen to it, but I didn't mind it.
Sounds very experimental and noisy in all kinds of weird ways. Wouldnt surprise me if there is some genius tracks in there that I'm simply not able to appreciate. "Shadow of a doubt" was alright but overall not for me
Starts off really good, but then tapers off along the way. There are some glimpses of something I really like, but it's muddied by long passages of noise rock that serves no real purpose for me. When it's good, it's great; when it's bad, it's pointless. I just saw that there are five Sonic Youth albums on this list. Might be overkill. 2.7
Sonic Youth is one of those bands I think I should really like, but they just don’t do it for me. This album is no different.
Det her liker jeg så dårlig, det er en grøt med udefinerbar drit. Ble sint på et tidspunkt for hvor lite jeg likte det
3.5
Dirty and fuzzy. Kind of exactly what you want from Sonic Youth.
That woman on the cover of the album? Exactly how I felt when I saw Sonic Youth album #4 pop up.
I now fully believe that one of the members of Sonic Youth started this project of 1001 albums to get people to listen to their shitty music. It’s impossible to think someone outside of the band thought that four (fucking four!!!) of Sonic Youth’s albums are “must listens before you die” when we haven’t even tapped into a number of band’s that I’m fully expecting to be on this list. This better be the last album from SY or I might have to walk away. In summary, same garbage that was in the other 3 albums.
This is strike four from these folks. The critics love them. Nobody loves the critics. Great album to ignore in the background.
Chaotic music paired with understated vocals. Sonic Youth are great when they stick to that formula, but to their credit they like to experiment with different stylings. Unfortunately they aren't successful. The artsy far out songs don't quite hit for me, it's just wierd without any appearent purpose. My least favorite album of theirs thus far.
This is my first full Sonic Youth album and while I enjoyed it, I feel like they’ve gotta have better albums.
Earlier than most of the Sonic Youth music I've listened to. Favorite track: Shadow Of A Doubt
Ah, so this is it. No more Sonic Youth albums. Ever. I wonder if it felt this good when the Israelites were freed from Egypt.
Not for everyone, this one begins a transition that includes more melody and a poppier sound.
Sadly I think I’m just not a sonic youth fan
I prefer the previous Sonic Youth albums to this one
3 I like the sound in general and has some interesting elements but nothing that really stuck or interested me much.
How many Sonic Youth Albums belong on this list? It's not a bad jam but c'mon
Tämän haasteen aikana olen huomannut, että Sonic Youth onkin aika mielenkiintoinen bändi. Tämä oli nyt toinen kuuntelemani levy bändiltä, ja vaikka pidän Dirtysta enemmän, tämäkin oli aikas hyvä.
I swear I like some sonic youth but not this one
It was ok
4/10… noise rock / alternative rock / *1986
Dis-sonic, whatever their age.
Tom Violence is a good start. Kim Deal has kind of a sexy voice. In the Kingdom #19 sucks. I just can't get into these guys. Madonna, Sean, and Me (Death to the Oxford comma!) sounds like something I can't place, not something I like necessarily, but something familiar. It's going to drive me crazy.
not my thang /listen to the rest
(Strong 7/10) A pretty succinct album for Sonic Youth, but of their early years this makes it their most accessible. The first handful of tracks are the "catchiest" if you wanna call them that. I especially love the atmosphere of "Shadow of a doubt". The Middle of the album enters more experimental territory with noisier explorations of guitar and bass drone and sonic manipulation. The coup-de-grace of the album is the heavy as balls "Expressway Thru yr skull". A coalescence of noise and drone in a 9 minute epic that puts a solid capstone on this album's experience thus far. My deluxe edition also has "Bubblegum" which is a nice palette cleanser of some more straightforward slacker rock with a noise edge. Overall it's not my favorite SY album but it definitely hits and for 1986 nothing else was really sounding like this.
EVOL is a pretty special album for sonic youth. It captures a moment where the early era's slinky creepiness collided with some of the catchiness that was fully realized of stuff like Goo or Daydream Nation. And honestly, I kind of think this is more accessible than Daydream Nation. But that's definitely a me thing. If you don't have a lot of noise rock experience, it may be surprising to learn that Sonic Youth is a particularly patient take on the genre. But honestly, I do think it's shows. Like Tom Violence and Shadow Of A Doubt are so shadowed and eerie that I can't think of a better word. But the atmosphere that EVOL conjures is pretty special. And Sonic Youth was a truly unique band. This is getting a 5.
It’s ok.
solid 4.0.
Ok'ish for this set of senior ears, but I wouldn't rush out to buy the album. I liked Bubble Gum ☺️
Palateable Sonic Youth Album. Quietly it could even be played in the shop.
https://media.tenor.com/sV_pMSp-XkIAAAAM/hullapalooza-simpsons.gif
6.23.26 really into this. i love noise rock/post-punk so this was gonna be at an advantage for me. kinda shocked to see the lower rating but whatever. a pretty abrasive and interesting album that is, i believe, really cohesive while still maintaining some unique sounds in each track. excited to listen to some more sonic youth!!! Favorite Song: Shadow of a Doubt Rating: 4/5
Having been a Placebo fan for many, many years - HOW HAVE I NOT LISTENED TO THESE GUYS BEFORE? This was a fantastic album, and I now realize Placebo are just a fantastic extension of them. The noise, the beats and melodies - all fantastic.
Oh look. Another sonic youth album. Bleh.
Es markiert den Moment, in dem die Band ihren Lärm bändigt und erstmals echte Songformen andeutet. Der Sound ist kühl, kantig, atmosphärisch – aber nicht immer nachhaltig. Vieles wirkt wie ein spannender Übergangszustand: interessant, gut gemacht, doch selten wirklich einprägsam.
p554. 1986. 2 stars. Noisy and pretentious 80s Stateside alt-rock from the critics darlings. 5 of their albums on the list? FFS. Don't believe the hype.
Atmosoheric, reminds me of Joy Division. Very enjoyable overall. 4/5
Good! This is a high 3 for sure but it just wasn't hitting 4 for me
beautiful. dark and bright. dynamic. there may be better sonic youth albums but this one was such a fun ride. I loved the atmospheric parts as well. A soft 5 for me.
so cool and atmospheric cant wait for more sonic youth
Great album
I liked it and it broke up my monotonous day and my slight listening fatigue
i see evol
ok
Started off well but then it felt like they forgot they were trying to record an album with songs on it. Occasionally, they'd remember about the songs, but then get distracted again. Really really can't wait to listen to the other *four* Sonic Youth albums on this list.
I have always liked Sonic Youth, but I've never really been a Big Fan of them like I am for other bands in their scene/era - partly because I used to find their Whole Thing a bit self-conciously cool, and dismissed them as a bit art-schooly (this isnt me calling out art schools though, *Obama voice* let me be clear, but you get what I mean) Relistening to this album, however, I realised I was very wrong. I really loved the apocalyptic textures of this - so stark, spidery, and genuinely exciting. I think their later albums are a bit meh, but this has made me excited to relisten to Bad Moon Rising and Sister - this evokes Gibson more than their later attempt on Daydream Nation
Sonic Youth have always been a bit of a blind spot for me... there was a few songs i rly enjoyed and some very interesting sounds but also it was a bit of a racket....
There is a lot that I like here, but also parts I really don't like. Good music for a dystopian movie. 4 stars or B-.
I give you the Green Light to tell your Secret Girl to listen to this album.
EVOL, my first Sonic Youth album, which I probably bought in early 1987. It always felt kinda scary to me and still does: packed with ghost stories and noise rock beat poetry murder ballads. It’s one that my favorite tunes shifted over the years (originally probably ‘In the Kingdom #19,’ ‘Starpower,’ ‘Shadow of a Doubt,” and ‘Bubblegum’ and now ‘Expressway to yr Skull’ and ‘Tom Violence’). I’ve actually been thinking about this album, anticipating that it would come up and wondering how I would rate it and if I would feel like it is essential. Answer turns out to be 4.5 rounding up and yes, yes people really ought to listen to this, because even within Sonic Youth’s discography it’s something different and surprising.
Much like my experience with Sebadoh, I had trouble getting into this album’s grating aesthetic. One of the more challenging releases of Pioneer Valley rock.
Sonic Youth excels at creating soundscapes. From time to time the song writing meshes well, but this release didn't seem to have that pairing.
This hit just right yesterday and I became absorbed in the goth-grunge soundscapes.
Really torn on the rating for this one. I prefer sonic youth when they got a little more melodic, but this is a great album. It just goes a little too far into noise rock and I peter out listening to it after awhile.
Another SY album. Again, same as the last couple, not bad, and can see the influence on later bands. Just fairly dull really. The fact there's another 3 albums on this list staggers me. One or two is more than enough to get a feeling for them really.
Some of these songs are literally just some bullshit guitar stuff
I have a lot of respect for Sonic Youth. I wish I understood it more when this came out.
Another solid Sonic Youth album. And same with the other 4, Kim Gordon is where it's at. The guitar work is outstanding.
Come on! One of my favorite records of all time. Can o give it a 10?
Such an awesome album. “Tom Violence” showed the path they would take. I love how the catchy melodies devolve into chaos and coalesce again. “Shadow of a Doubt” and “Secret Girl” show off Kim in an eerily seductive way, like walking through an abandoned house with ancient ghosts. “Madonna, Sean, and me” (AKA “Expressway to yr Skull”) is another example of lofty, catchy anthems which disappear into Sonic Youth’s trademark cacophony.
Este es el segundo álbum que me toca de Sonic Youth, y a pesar de que no me haya gustado tanto como Dirty, E.V.O.L. no se queda atrás. Descubrí que me disfruto más de escuchar la voz de Kim Gordon, y creo que priorizarla en este disco por sobre Thurston Moore fue lo ideal, ya que siento que le sientan mejor a ella las canciones con una expresión lírica más poética. Sin embargo, habría preferido escuchar más canciones como 'Bubblegum', la cual –aunque creo que es buena– desentona un poco con la vibra más gótica (si se quiere decir) del álbum que dan las demás canciones. ↑: Tom Violence; Shadow of a Doubt; Starpower; Death to Our Friends; Madonna, Sean, and Me; Bubblegum ↓: –
Not terrible. But while I don’t mind noise in service of a concept, too much of the time this sounds like amorphous goo.
Good album. Reminds me of the Cure, but more pissed off. A few songs that the vocal performance was underwhelming, though.
not totally my jam but still aight
Great punk album!
favs: madonna, sean, and me, marilyn moore, tom violence
300423 17:33 4 i love u LEE RANALDO
Not bad, not sure what I was expecting. Kinda just fills my ears with music goo without really moving me.
ehhh
Not the most interesting thing ever, I didn't really find it bad though. It's a fine album. It's the first by then I've gotten, so maybe they'll get more annoying down the line.
Not a big sonic youth guy, this didn’t really change that
Absolutely loved the bleak textures on this one
Not for me
1/5
wannabe pixies
Shit rock
Good stuff, just what I needed for a rough morning! The first track was really comfy, like a heavy blanket. I think Thurston's songs are just the tiniest bit stronger than Kim's but there's nothing I dislike here!
Very up my alley! Especially liked the first couple tracks.
I really like Sonic Youth, but there's nothing here which would lead me to make this a must listen. I liked listening, but this seems to be 55% feedback. Maybe a 2.5 for me but bumping.
My least favorite so far
Not their best, not their worst. Shadow of a doubt has a special place in my heart, though.
Good that you experiment, but for my ears playing out of tune on purpose doesn't make it better. I'll give you an extra point for originality anyhow. 5/10
Second Sonic Youth. It has been a really, really fucking long time since I listened to Daydream Nation. I pulled it 521 albums ago, to be precise. I'm genuinely surprised that I haven't rolled a Sonic Youth album sooner given that five of them are on this list. Anyways, I remember little from Daydream Nation. I thought the female vocals were tepid and the early alternative sound was unremarkable, though that's about it. It isn't looking good for the rest of their discography given that I'm pretty sure Daydream Nation was their most acclaimed release. Given that this album I'm about to listen to is their first release to be included on the list, my expectations for it are understandably lower, though I'll go in with an open mind nonetheless. Here goes. Very Velvet Underground, huh? I'm still not a Sonic Youther, sadly. I think I can very safely be pinned as a Sonic Geriatric. That's right, I'm old school (even though I almost exclusively favour music released after the time of this album). Anyways, I didn't gel with this music. M-slur disclaimer and all, but this music is very MILLENNIAL-coded thanks to its dudebro stoner vocals. The post punk-esque instrumentals are occasionally interesting thanks to their heavy, dense sound, neat effects and deliberate songwriting, though for the most part I thought they were a bit tepid, meandering and lost on me. Overall, this album was a bit of a bore, though I commend the concise runtime. Book time. This album cemented the band's lineup and was "...the first of the band's truly great, genre-defining works." The album was recorded in a small room, which lead the band to focus on melodic songwriting so that they could hear each other. The entry closes out by calling this album "...rock rebuilt and retold in a strange and thrilling new language." Wikipedia says this album was warmly received by critics and has been met with enduring acclaim, most notably for being a bit of a black sheep in their discography. Neil Young and the frontman of Pavement also like this album. It doesn't appear to have charted at all, however. I haven't really heard much of a case for why this album is influential, though I can believe it was ahead of the curve. Whether the remaining Sonic Youth albums earn their place remains to be seen (I think three list albums from these guys is about right), though for the time being I'm happy to let this one through. I cosign this inclusion.
Måste säga att jag föredrog den totalsågade grunge-indieskivan från igår. Det här va lite för mycket flipp för flippets skull. Finns några fina popdängor här också, men Sonic youth är inte riktigt ätmogna än. Det tar sig om en eller ett par skivor.
Dom gasar på med, hmm. Är det art rock? Indie? Känns iaf som igår fast lite sämre.
Kul med detta efter Sebadoh. Tycker det finns mer här. Mer av allt bra, mindre av allt dåligt.
My fave Sonic Youth up to date.
picks: shadow of a doubt, madonna, sean and me
492/1089 - One more and I never have to listen to this shit fucking band again.
I totally get why E.V.O.L. is such a polarizing record. If I'm not in the right mood, it just feels like a wall of off key guitars and weird feedback. But when I actually settle into it, it’s honestly brilliant. You can really hear this band finding their footing, moving away from their noisy, experimental roots toward that classic indie sound they perfected later on. Another solid Sonic Youth album that was way ahead of its time.
Había escuchado hablar de Sonic Youth pero nunca los había escuchado. Suenan bien pero no es de mi agrado, como un rock punk underground
I like it. I've listened to it a few times through. Noisy, gritty, grimy. Rather than leave you humming ear worms, it feels like worms are humming around in your ear. And that's clearly the point. Punk rock texture music. I don't know that I have an application for this, but I can absolutely see how some people do.
An absolute chore
It's got a lot of experimental energy with the scattered frantic instrumentals which I'm sure they were going for. It doesn't make music that I want to listen to on repeat which is 80% of why I listen in the first place.
A little too gothic for my taste. I thought the way they processed the instruments was interesting, the distorted feel added a lot to the vibe of the album. Favorite Tracks: Starpower Death to Our Friends
Tom Violence Is A Dream 1001 Albums Generator 296 (5/21/2026) E.V.O.L. is at its best when it leans into the noisy, gothic indie sound that the first half is predicated on. The experiments that fill much of the tracklist in the second half are not nearly as good. Although, I actually like the punk poetry that's happening on In The Kingdom #9 and the instrumental behind it is super interesting, but I don't see myself listening to it outside of context. 3.5/5, rounded down to 3. Favs: Tom Violence Starpower Death to Our Friends Least Fav: Secret Girl
first listen ew
Kjedelig?
Soms enerverend, soms rustgevend, verwarrend
Ik vond het tof!
All the songs sounds similar, album was overall meh to me. There are some Sonic Youth albums I like but I guess this wasn’t one of them
Better than their others and by that i mean shorter
3/5 Liked some of the songs but there wasn't anything that really stood out to me in the album. Favorite Song: Bubblegum or Tom Violence
Not one of theirs I'm super familiar with, but it's great. Dark and noisy, gritty, a menacing ambience that explodes into violent dissonance. Deconstructed hardcore, where instead of speeding it up, they space it all out, turn it to texture, play it inside out, haunt it, have a breakdown, and dwell in the feedback. Favorites: Secret Girl, Tom Violence, Starpower
вродь со вкусом, но аппетита не вызывает. вместо "green light" предпочту электрический стул. "marilyn moore" приглашает на дозу полисорба. бл местами насток хуево что даж норм я уже не знаю. обложка ебавальна👍 пс. чем глубже в список "1001 альбом...", тем больше начинаешь любить роковую малышечку Бритни Спирс.
I need to learn more about what the hell they were doing in this album
Ive been doing this for just about 2 months and I have gotten stuck with two Sonic Youth albums already. This one's title, Evol, is the opposite of “love,” and I deeply opposite of love Sonic Youth. As I've said before, Kim is the biggest issue here. At least here she is more whispery, which is preferable to the novocaine howl. Thurston just leans toward pretention and noise too often (see In The Kingdom #19). Kim, though… take “Secret Girl,” reciting weak poetry in vocal bursts that sound like she had to run down the street to get to the studio in time to gasp then out. That said, this isn't as bad as Sister. This feels more gothic, more 80s, more drawn from Joy Division… listen to those opening chords on Madonna, Sean, and Me, which feels like the rough draft of something ive actually enjoyed by someone else. That vibe starts on Tom Violence, and carries throughout. But the best bits of this album are of another piece altogether. Between about half of Green Light until Kim starts up in Secret Girl, there is cleansing discord, not too pointlessly painfully loud, but clearly a palate cleanser after the rest of this. That's what makes Madonna so relatively good… it sounds like something filled with potential going over the edge into simpleton yearnings. But that is the end of it. More 2* than Sister was, but that is nitpicking, because Sister is pretty bad.
It wasn't so bad I wanted to shut it off, but I really did not like this album. Just noise, didn't like how almost any of the lyrics sounded, the instruments were fine sometimes? Something about Sonic Youth just bothers me.
pretty bad honestly. nothing special, just some instrumentals and they don't sing much
Womon on covor = evol
Started at a 2 and drove it into the ground with their noise rock
First 3 tracks are outstanding. The rest doesn't really work and is too experimental but it shows how good they are when they stick to mainstream rock writing.
I was excited to listen to "E.V.O.L." because Sonic Youth also made "Goo". Sadly, "E.V.O.L" didn't have a lot of SY's classic noise in most tracks. It's closer to Bauhaus than Sonic Youth's other albums. "Starpower" makes good use of "E.V.O.L."'s sound; more tracks should've reached its standard. Luckily, subsequent albums by Sonic Youth would get better. 3 stars for "E.V.O.L.".
Another gem of a Sonic Youth record. This one was featured in ‘Our band could be your life’, and I by chance read the Sonic Youth chapter around the same time I bought this on vinyl, so listened to it a lot while having that wider context of what was going on. I think that makes this even better for me, like having a commentary. Like most Sonic Youth, it is cram packed with an unfair amount of ideas and creativity. Leave some for the rest of us, ey? It pushes every boundary, even more impressive given it was realeased during the end of hair rock dominating the scene and the start of grunge taking over. I believe too SST were eager to get this out to help shift them away from hardcore punk, so there’s another genre it fights. I read a quote that says something like this is a key DIY record that ends up being ‘do anything yourself’, and I think that sums this up well.
Have we had the back to back albums from the same artist before? Bit messier than Dirty, which made for more interesting music overall I'd say but less immediately catchy. Not sure I learnt anything about sonic youth I didn't know already, I still really like them and they sound much more fresh and vital than most other bands before or since. Still missing something that would make me love them though.
Secret Girl was the standout for this part of the Sonic Youth double-header. Noisy, dramatic, they know they're cool. Not as enjoyable as Dirty, but still more than happy to listen. A generous 4.
Double sonic youth albums! Pretty different to dirty, more experimental and out there. Did not enjoy it as much, but bits were good. I seem to be a more of a fan of daydream nation onwards judging by my scores of the 5 albums (!) we've had Still 3
Enjoyed this. Can definitely see the roots of grunge. Last track in particular is great. Would listen again
nao gostei mt, prefiro aquele q acapa é um desenho com eles no carro
Good album. Great sound and experimentation. 3,7
Tetsuo
Good alt record
I like that you can actually hear the words, but otherwise just moody noise rock
Jeg har stadig ikke hørt et Sonic Youth album jeg ikke kunne lide
Lidt mere ubehageligt end de andre Sonic Youth plader vi har haft (positivt! man skulle ikke tro det, men jeg mener det positivt!)
Nice and noisy <3
Favorite Track: In the Kingdom #19
Bro….. cmon sonic youth is literally one of my fave bands of all time LOL. i know its a generator so im going to get albums ive listened too before. with evol it took me like 2 listens to really like it. and unforch i do prefer their next album (can’t think of the name its 7am)
i never knew sonic youth could sound like this... very nice gothic-esque sound, some awesome experimental stuff too, just loved it and will be listening again very soon
Masterpiece, first three songs are all as perfect as music gets. The whole album is just one long begging the question of "How the hell did they get the guitar to sound that way."
Very moody. Not my type of music but not awful.
Buen disco. Rock mas pesado de lo que disfruto, pero tiene buenos temas
Good
💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩 💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩 💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩=SONIC YOUTH= 💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩 💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩 💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩 💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩 =EVOL=💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩 💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩 💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩(1986)💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩 💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩 💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩 💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩CALIFICACIÓN💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩 💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩 💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩=★⯨☆☆☆=💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩 💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩 💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩 =(1,75)=💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩 💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩 💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩 1. Tom Violence (★★⯨☆☆) -Chata hasta el minuto y pico... y después es una porquería igualmente... 2. Shadow of a Doubt (★★☆☆☆) -Caos, disonancia, desagradable... 3. Starpower (★★★☆☆) -Suena decente, pero la voz es horrible, parece un animal moribundo pidiendo que lo liberen de su miseria... -Terminó siendo la única que más o menos "aprobó"... 4. In the Kingdom #19 (★☆☆☆☆) -Un mal viaje relatado... innecesario 5. Green Light (★★☆☆☆) -Suena horrible, desde el principio, parece un caos de instrumentación... 6. Death to Our Friends (★★☆☆☆) 7. Secret Girl (★☆☆☆☆) 8. Marilyn Monroe (★☆☆☆☆) 9. Madonna, Sean and Me (★☆☆☆☆) 10. Bubblegum (★★☆☆☆) 💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩 💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩 PUNTAJE TOTAL 2,5+2+3+1+2+2+1+1+1+2 = 17,5 💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩 💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩 PUNTAJE PROMEDIO 17,5 / 10 = 1,75 💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩 💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩 CALIFICACIÓN FINAL ★⯨☆☆☆ (1,75) 💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩 💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩 COMENTARIO -Por momentos parece ser un mal viaje inducido por psicodélicos hecho álbum, y sonaría bien, si no la cagaran de alguna manera... en eso sí tenían talento. -No hay mérito en sonar mal, disonante, desagradable, porque eso no es música, es locura, caos y ni siquiera tiene sentido desperdiciar una grabación con ese tipo de mierda, sea el tiempo que sea... fueron y son un desperdicio de carbono. -Seguro habrán idiotas que crean que "suenan mal a propósito" o que "es parte de su estilo", pero esto fue, es y será una mierda, así sin más. No entiendo por qué está en la lista... -La analogía más acertada sobre lo que pienso de este "álbum" es que sería lo mismo que si yo fuera al baño, cagara dentro de una bolsa y luego tuviera la osadía de venderla como si fuera música e incluso lo suficientemente buena como para entrar en 1001 mierdas para escuchar antes de morirte. -No se puede decir nada porque incluso la portada del álbum funciona a modo de advertencia, como el envoltorio de los cigarillos... 💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩 💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩
Spooky Halloween vibes!! I had no idea what to expect from this and it surprised me, both in good and bad ways. Ultimately, I didn’t love this, but I could tell that it’s iconic.
I liked Sister more than I expected, but EVOL feels like Sonic Youth are trying to be more melodic but don't really have the tunes yet.
Another classic album that I am luke warm on. It's just alright, the music, the singing, also not much variety. I'm sure they inspired other bands and it was innovative and all that but it's just not my thing.
2nd album of theirs so far, didn't enjoy this one quite as much as Dirty, but still good! It did kinda lose me a bit in the middle of the album, but the start and end are good. "Shadow of a Doubt" is the standout here for me, but also enjoyed "Tom Violence" "Starpower" and "Bubblegum"
Bubble Gum
Self-absorbed, and the music is just good enough for them to have the right to do so
A fun little Easter egg for everyone: flip the spelling of this album title and then try reading it again. Believe me, you won’t regret it ❤️😏!
Not the best sonic youth. Not very memorable. 3/5
WE’RE GONNA KILLLLL… THE CALIFORNIA GIRLSSSSS!
an ok punk/new wave album. Nothing to dislike but at the same time nothing that makes me want to listen again, nor am I interested in buying this album
More garbage 1
I dislike this album. Lots of thrashing, yelling and other sounds full of angst and nihilism. Miserable.
I’m only familiar with a handful of Sonic Youth tracks, but I’ve long suspected I’d like more of their work. Listening to this album has confirmed my suspicion. The songwriting is strong, with a rich tapestry of sound shaped by creative use of each instrument. I could see myself revisiting this and eventually bumping it up to a 5, but for now it’s a very solid 4/5
☠️ pretty cool. couldn't really find an emoji for this but it's like goth metal imo.
Wasn't into this. Looked back at my previous Sonic Youth reviews and I keep saying "it almost sounds like something I'd like." I felt that here too. I can't really explain why I don't like it and again I was going to say maybe I'm just in a bad mood, but that's exactly what I said in my last Sonic Youth review. Maybe it just isn't my thing. Fav song: Shadow of a Doubt Least fav: Secret Girl
This album makes me feel like I'm at an open mic night having to listen to loads of dramatic (and kind of shitty) poetry. I can imagine them sitting around with little notebooks brainstorming about the Manson family and Hitchcock films and quotes from Ulysses. And how proud they would have been to call it Love backwards. It's all a little too pretentious for me. That being said musically I like it more than the other Sonic Youth albums I've rated. Favourite song: Tom Violence Least: Starpower
Noisy, harsh, not that bad🤹🏿
It’s dissonant madness and I’m kinda okay with it.
Sonic Youth going post rock... I guess I like this album the most
alright
I'm hooked. This album knows how to make evol to me. Where does that guitar come from? Where is that guitar going? Bubblegum rules. The future is here now.
T’nod evol.
I love Sonic Youth. There does not need to be five Sonic Youth albums on this list. One's good. I'd keep Sister and free up four slots for other artists. Having said this, this one's pretty great. It's not Sister, but Side Two is pretty spectacular. Marilyn Moore still kills, and Expressway to yr Skull was always amazing live.
It's so hard to rate an album when it's a style I just can't relate to. I try with Sonic Youth and I just can't.
g.n.i.r.o.b.
At first, I thought, "Ugh, just another one of those alternative rock albums that everyone loves, but all I hear is annoying noise." But Sonic Youth is different. Yes, this isn't highbrow poetry, but noise rock and art punk. And that’s precisely why it works, contrary to expectations: it's organized noise. It's not just distorted guitars and bleating; it's played artfully with constant compositional twists. It's progressive rock in noise guise. Furthermore, the sound quality of the album is excellent. When is this from? 1986? Was it released on an indie label? Wow. It sounds absolutely audiophile-grade and timeless. Organized noise. What a discovery! I need to explore Sonic Youth more.
Meh, it was ok.
5/10 Best songs: Starpower, In the Kingdom #19 My first of the 5 Sonic Youth albums, EVOL sounds very garage rock in that sort of unformed, glimpses of brilliance but not quite there kind of way. Ultimately it probably doesn't belong on this list, but I do think it's interesting but not amazing.
I actually was looking forward to this and Getting deeper into the discography but was disappointed by the end. Nothing resonated. Just some noisy experimental music
Noisey, punkey, shoegazey. I can appreciate the roots of other genres here, but don't particularly care for this album.
Can’t wait for THREE more Sonic Youth albums. Can some of the fat from this list be cut?
Damn, I really slept on Sonic Youth. I really like their experimental noise sound, the “sublime din” as a Stereogum reviewer wrote. Here, I appreciated the tone poem tracks, one with whispered vocals from Kim Gordon and another that’s a clear copy of the Doors but captivating in its own right. I love the warmth of the drums adding fullness to their plinky punk sound too. Some of the tracks felt overlong, and I needed a break even though it clocks in under 40 minutes. Still, the band continues to impress me.
I like it - but it’s not a strong as the other three albums I’ve listened to from the book, Sister, Goo and Daydream Nation.
Just keep giving me Sonic Youth.
No! Not this time! Too much noise - too less rock! (Overall I question the amount of Sonic Youth albums on the list) 1,5
Despite being a reasonably big fan I'd not listened to Sonic Youth pre the excellent Daydream Nation album. The earlier stuff is really good! Sonic Youth playing Glasgow Barrowlands 1992 was one of the best ever gigs I've been to.
It's a little bit less unlistenable than Dirty. 2/5
i love noise rock and sonic youth
Again? One of the most overrated bands on this list. They are on here at least twice if not more...
🪨 cold classic.
ehh
It sure has its moments, but doesn't manage to really interest me
This is an interesting record. It's obvious from even a cursory listen that all the elements of later day Sonic Youth are there, and yet, it's an early work, not fully developed, a bit like watching photographic paper having an image slowly appear while being processed. Is it a pleasant listen? Not always, but it's got great emotional range.
Interesting but not *interesting*. Didn't really get much out of it apart from a few grunge head nodding moments.
Atmospheric and moody not someone I have a lot of prior knowledge of so was intrigued to give it a spin, enjoyed it. A proper musos album I reckon
it was fine, but probably not the best intro to sonic youth.
Completely unsure how to rate this one on the basis of a few separate things. First, I think there’s been enough Sonic Youth albums to hit this list. Is this like the fourth or fifth? I come away with the same message every time: Kim Gordon’s voice alone can carry this band to greatness. Second, the variance in how much I enjoyed each track was massive. “Shadow Of A Doubt” is just excellent. Airy, spacious, mysterious, dramatic, evocative. Not a misplaced note or instrument on it. “Star Power” keeps the Kim Gordon excellence going. Shoutout to that episode of Gossip Girl where KG is actually there in the end doing an incredible acoustic version of this already amazing song. Then “In The Kingdom #19” takes the conventional structure of previous songs and puts it all in a blender, with a captivating spoken word passage layered over the chaos. “Secret Girl” was notable for that haunting piano passage after a minute of dissonant ambiance. Every other song, particularly the last few songs, we’re very forgettable. But the songs I mentioned above? Masterful. Fuck it light 4/5 stars the peaks were so high. I type all my reviews by 9am at the absolute latest on work days, but I am going back here to say that “Star Power” has been stuck in my head all day
That feels like a lot of Sonic Youth now. Maybe a 3 so I don't have to think too hard about if I like it or not.
Like
Ever Virulent Old Len ……Houmous 4.3 6/10 Death To Our Friends
I think the slow, ambient lo-fi bits slowed this album down to the point that when the crescendos finally came they felt overdue. I know that is probably the point of Sonic Youth, the tension, the emotion, and seeing them live or in their prime would probably be pretty epic but something about this album quietly playing over my car stereo on my commute to work didn't hit the way it was intended.
Dissonant, noisy, experimental, and weird; Sonic Youth are yet another band that someone is either going to love or absolutely hate. Personally, I love them. I went through a huge Sonic Youth phase in university, but I actually haven’t listened to them much since then. Listening to EVOL today and I am excited to dive back in and explore their music again.
Sonic Youth can do no wrong
Yoof go noise-goth and it's pretty darn good
I could never get into Sonic Youth, but I don’t think they’d care. After the first few songs, the album crumbles into noisy wah-wah for the last 20 minutes, like drunk college students banging around on instruments late on a Thursday night. The only difference is, the students didn’t record their efforts.
sin más
I never quite understood all the love for Sonic Youth This got me closer, though. And Kool Thing is a good song. (I'm mad at this website now because I just wrote two quite long, detailed reviews and neither show up now. I saw them and now they're gone. I took a few days off so I wouldn't punch the screen. So, sadly you're getting a short, non-detailed review this time.) Kim Gordon is a good talker and talk-singer. I really like it here. She's not a good singer though and should stop it. Thurston is decent but he doesn't bring any energy or emotion ever. So vocally, they're always kind of mid. "Shadow of a Doubt" is a cool song. I'm going with a 4 on this one because I know how influential they were and they do a decent job of mixing experiments in to reasonably melodic tunes.
its alt or indie rock and i guessed it its surprising the album is as old, it has a very interesting modern sounding. enjoyed it greatly.
This marks my first of the band's five listed records to be generated, and it is also the first chronologically of the included records. The album's sound is very psychedelic and trippy, with heavy dream pop elements and some alt-rock/punk thrown in. Lyrics are often nonsensical, but they fit the album's vibe very well. Pop hooks and tight songwriting take a backseat on this album to washed-out psychedelia and uniquely esoteric soundscapes. The second half of the record is far weirder and less structured than the already somewhat weird first half. While this record is not for the average pop listener(many of the best records aren't), I find it to be interesting, unique, and engaging. Those qualities are pretty much exactly I want out of a record, and they're this record's strongest attributes. Even now, I find myself utterly fascinated by this record(even though it can devolve into boring, noisy bullshit that has no real structure of any kind at all), and I can only imagine what hearing this would have been like in 1986 before anybody really sounded like this. And, if nothing else, at least it isn't one of those insipid Britpop-by-the-numbers albums that are way too common on this list.
This was alright. I listened to it and hummed along, but didn't really love anything about it. Three stars.
on my not need to listen list
I finally understand what my high school teachers must have felt when dealing with the class dullard. Instead of applying himself, accomplishing his best, he shits out the worst essay ever about like. Why crunchy peanut butter makes the best taco filling. Sonic Youth are that to me. They always have songs I really enjoy and are impressed with, luring me in, the sirens. And then oh fuck it’s bad spoken word! Noooo not not that interesting noise!!!
ok
Noise
Idk anymore
I don't think this one come so quick behind Magazine helped.
Sonic youth are excessively featured on this list, so much so that my algorithm thinks I really like them. I don't. This wasn't bad but nothing special, which is a 1* in my book (some tracks like in the kingdom bumped this down from a 2).
I hadn't listened to Evol before, but I've listened to Sonic Youth's most acclaimed albums. This one fits right in, which is both a compliment and a complaint. Whenever I put on Daydream Nation, I often find myself thinking 'This is really, really good! Better than I remember'... and then they get to a 1-2 minute stretch where the melody just evaporates. Evol is no different. There are genuine melodic moments here, but they keep getting buried under waves of noise. Rolling Stone ranked this the 30th greatest punk album of all time, and the noise is supposedly the point, a rejection of shiny pop culture. But the Ramones were abrasive and confrontational through melody and energy, not by abandoning them. So were the Clash. If rejecting polished pop was the goal, a three-minute song with hooks did that just as effectively and more people could actually engage with it.
I enjoy Sonic Youth, but this is not my favorite of theirs.
This one is exhausting to listen to.
I listened to this album three times in a row, and I couldn't for the life of me get a single memorable vibe from what should've been a solid alt punk sound.
Nothing without Kim Gordon. Juno was right.
I don’t think anyone could justify this album being on a list of 10,000.
Is Sonic Youth just less absurd more self serious Pavement? Idk this is fine
3+ Stars (9/15)
Crud
6/10
Não gostei muito do Álbum. Não parece sonic youth
Not for me.
01) Tom Violence - 5,5 02) Shadow of a Doubt - 5,5 03) Starpower - 5,0 04) In the Kingdom #19 - 5,0 05) Green Light - 5,0 06) Death to Our Friends - 5,0 07) Secret Girl - 3,0 08) Marilyn Moore - 4,0 09) Madonna, Sean and Me - 4,0 10) Bubblegum - 5,5 TOTAL: 4,75 (48/100) Current ranking: 825/866
A little bit to dark and noisy for my taste
Better than I expected.
Pretty good. Think other sy albums are more essential.