Reviews (page 5 of 8)
Couldn’t connect with this at all, just not my bag
Cool, i like this
найс, вайбово, сохранил. очень напомнило музыку из ионотеки
Smashing
It was okay for what it was. Super gothy and droney, fine for background music but not one I’d come back to.
The kind of album you need a palate cleanser after. I needed to get out of the dark and sweaty music venue illuminated only by five blinking red marquee lights ten feet apart from each other and listen to some fucking Shania Twain or something
Early sonic youth is tough. They need a major label bad to get the rawness out. But the one thing they do happen to do well on this record is set a mood
Couldn’t decide whether this was a 4 or 5, but it was a unique enough listen I have it the nod. Very full sound, and unique textures ESPECIALLY for the eighties.
Highlight: In The Kingdom #19 In a nutshell: noise-goth. In context of albums in the book, this lays the groundwork of noise rock. Right up there with Dinosaur Jr and Pixies. Pavement and Teenage Fanclub cite EVOL as an influence on their work, and it's noticeable. Kim Gordon allegedly called this “the goth album” of Sonic Youth’s discography. Accurate. It has it's moments, but it's not their best. Overall: 4/10
This is noisy and dissonant. I’m a fan. I don’t like it as much as I enjoyed Goo. The vocals here really added to the atmosphere. Favorites were Tom Violence, Starpower, Madonna, Sean, And Me, and Bubblegum.
Noisey, spooky, and cool. Lots of neat soundscapes and guitar work. Initial thought is it could use a bit more pop structure, especially on side B - of course, this would come as they progressed in their career.
I only ever heard of Sonic Youth because of Kim Gordon and her fantastic record "The Collective", now I knew that that record as a very different sound than SY's stuff, but I still expected lots of great things and was honestly kind of disappointed by this thing. It isn't bad, but for the most part this just sounds like arbitrary noise with now clear arrangement or purpose to be found. Now there are some cute songs I liked, mainly "Starpower" and "Express to Yr. Skull", with the second half generally being stronger.
Fulgte ikkje så godt med, men trur da va verdt et gjenlytt
Odd choice from the Sonic Youth cannon.
I don't know I'm just not a big Sonic youth fan. They sure have allot of albums on here
I don’t hate it. Most of it.
SY is just not my thing. But I'm thrilled they exist.
I love the dissonance. I love how sloppy it is. But every time I hear Sonic Youth, I think the same thing. "Less reverb". It's fine to out reverb on something. But holy hell, they just drench EVERYTHING with it. I know it's a choice. I know it was the 80s. But there's just too much.
love love love
I see Sonic Youth I set volume low. Overexposed on the list.
Really enjoyed the opening track or two, but then got lost in the same mess I didn't really like from Goo. 2.5
2.5
++: Tom Violence, Shadow of a Doubt, Starpower, Green Light, Death to Our Friends, Marilyn Moore, Expressway to Yr. Skull +: Kingdom #19 +-: Secret Girl 9,6/10
It was better than the other Sonic Youth albums that we have listened to this far. It was good early alternative music.
Didn’t knock my socks off but decent
They are fortunate this isn't a 1. The songs weren't wildly offensive so that's the only reason why. I just can't enjoy any band that is trying to be artsy and that's exactly what Sonic Youth is, a band trying to be artsy but not too hard. They aren't Public Image Ltd. bad, but it's still not really enjoyable. There's a reason there's standard tuning on a guitar. It's cause it sounds good. You don't need a bunch of wonky tunings, just chill out. It's not selling out if your music sounds good. Usually its a good thing, and something people strive for, to make you music sound good, not actively make it obnoxious.
started so, so strong with the first 3 tracks, then kinda rambled & petered out.
Not the best Sonic Youth, but also not bad.
Better than I expected
3.6
I could never really get INTO Sonic Youth but this is a really good album. I really liked In the Kingdom #19 and Tom Violence reminded me of Joy Division
Starts strong and then peters out. Enjoyable album overall.
Not a 1 star but not good at all. Boring and plodding. Yawwwwwn
Oh so trendy oh so boring
I liked it but didn't love it - if it has to be Sonic Youth, I like Dirty better. It is however a novel album given it's from the mid 80's. Nice soundscapes but I miss a bit of a groove or hook. So, not interesting enough for a careful listen, and not pleasantly sounding enough for background music.
This was definitely different from what I've listened to from them before. Pretty gothy.
I’m familiar with Sonic Youth and enjoy their music. But they’re what I call “mood music”. I have to be in the mood for goth/alternative/angry music. That used to be my go to music of choice back in my angry youth days
scuffed at best
first time heard 1.5 round up to 2
Sonic Youth’s Evol has its moments, but they’re buried under a heap of noise and art-school pretension. I get why Kurt Cobain liked them — they were edgy, weird, and doing something different — but different doesn’t always mean good. There are a few catchy songs here that break through the fuzz, but the rest just sort of meanders aimlessly. It’s like they’re trying really hard to be avant-garde but forgot to bring the hooks. Not the worst thing I’ve ever heard, but nowhere near the hype.
You know, it bothers me that people use “art” as a pejorative when it comes to rock/popular music. You’ve seen it on this site, I’m sure. “Pretentious” or “arty” get thrown around a lot for records like this one. Why exactly is it a bad thing for a band to treat something that they have created as a work of art or feel like it is important? Surely, you might do the same with something you’ve created? …and why is it that you typically only see “art” used as a negative when the work in question is outside of generally accepted norms or “abstract”. The Beatles are considered the among the greatest artists in all of music, while Sonic Youth, as artists, are “pretentious”….but if they both draw influence from Karlheinz Stockhausen, for example, doesn’t the distinction between the two become hazy? Is it because one doesn’t sound “pretty” or isn’t “constructed” enough? Does a rejection of tradition in favor of exploration and invention make something “pretentious”? I honestly would like to know, because that word gets thrown around so much and it’s usually presented without any qualifiers… I get it, art can have a high barrier for entry, it sometimes requires previous knowledge or points of reference in order to consume it. It can be challenging or jarring and might not be easily accessible at first listen or glance. Luckily for all of us, the barrier for entry to knowledge is at an all time low for humanity. With the tap of a few buttons we can access the entirety of recorded human history. It requires initiative and a desire to better understand the world around you, but it’s there, free for the taking. As an example, you can make a connection between Sonic Youth and Steve Reich based off of the opening of “Shadow of a Doubt”. I mean, I didn’t know it the first time i heard it years ago, but as I delved deeper into Sonic Youth and some of their influences, that connection became apparent. For me, it’s pretty easy to appreciate how a band could take minimalism, which is considered a very academic form of music, and turn it into something that is in line with rock music. In fact, that seems like the opposite of pretension: taking a form of music that is seen as haughty or scholastic and filtering it through a more mainstream, accessible medium like rock. I’m not saying you need to do your homework and then you’ll get Sonic Youth. If you don’t like them, it’s fine - I don’t expect to change any minds, especially not by making comparisons to Reich and Stockhausen. I’m just saying that it wouldn’t hurt if we were all a little more curious about the world around us, rather than being instantly put off by things we might not understand. …and that concludes my most pretentious review to date.
Have yet to really connect with Sonic Youth, but I’ll probably keep trying…
I've listened to these guys a little tiny bit and I think they sound cool but they also seem to be a t-shirt band so I've always been slightly averse to them. But I can get past that I'm sure!
similarly never really connected with the youth but i did really enjoy this ! I am seeing a path where i learn to love sonic youth
ik versta dat sommige mensen dit niet goed vinden... zij moeten ook verstaan dat ik vind dat ze ongelijk hebben... beetje noise kan nooit kwaad
They may have influenced my favorite bands, but that is no reason for this list to force me to endure 5 miserable albums from them. Cocaine, another bad idea, was also influential the 80s as well. You're not going to make me experience that bad idea as well, are you? Here is a tip. If Robert Christagu and Pitchfork agree on something, you know it must be pretentious bullshit.
Incredibly boring with almost toneless singing. Some interesting ideas bring this up to a 2-star album.
Unfortunately couldn't vibe with it.
When I got into Sonic Youth I jumped in feet first and really embraced the early noisy stuff and would just play records like this over and over again! Eventually I mellowed out and embraced their later albums and play them much more but going back to this one I remembered why I fell in love with SY in the first place!
A glorious racket !
I have such mixed feelings about Sonic Youth.
One day, a group of slam poets turned on a white noise maker picked up some instruments, recorded for forty minutes and released the album. and it is about as good as you would think
It was pretty good. Not quite a 5 for me but getting close. Will I listen to again: 85%
Shit as
Eh, come on now. It's only sorta cool cos it was way different to anything else in the 80s
Nothing to draw from this, nothing to say about it either. NEXT!!!!
So, turns put I really like Gothy, Post-Punk Sonic Youth. Maybe I just really like Goth Rock in general, but this works for me so much more that the other albums I’ve had of theirs. I’m still not sure I’m 100% convinced, but yeah, I could see myself listening to this again
Even though "E.V.O.L." has lyrics that touch my heart, its production is not the best and seems amateurish. And that doesn't help much in conveying the necessary emotion for the album.
Thought this was EVOL by Future at first and got excited. Turned out to be a bunch of noise with no heart.
Ive never done drugs. But I magine this is what a bad trip sounds like.
This is actually the first Sonic Youth record I ever listened to and it’s still my go-to one. I don’t really dislike the stuff that came before or after (that I’ve actually listened to) but it doesn’t immediately scratch an itch like this one does. This is definitely something I listen to at least once a year. I don’t have a lot to say about it.
I just don’t get the appeal of Sonic Youth. It becomes a lot of droning distorted noise to me. I can, however, see how this may have been appealing to the youth of the time. And I can also hear the influence that they had on bands to come. But overall I don’t enjoy it and wouldn’t revisit.
Nope. Ne sjeda mi uopće, nervozira me i nema mi baš ničeg napetog na ovom albumu. 1/5, 1/10
I know it is well regarded but I never got into it.
This album is pretty good, and not really what I was expecting, being more familiar with late 90's Sonic Youth. Definitely something I'll come back to later. 3.5/5
Banger album. Like it a lot. I listened to it previously, but was very ready to listen again. 4/5
Classic early Youth, not as fully formed as their post-Daydream material but all the more charming, definitely had a good time here. B
Not my style.
I must be thoroughly uncool, because I don’t get these guys at all and I have no desire to. Best song: Shadow of a Doubt
Lots of bite and noise. Very creative for sure. Not exactly a pleasant listen but I don't think that's what they were going for. Definitely had me feeling their influence on Nirvana and the early Sloan that I love so much.
Not my favorite Sonic Yiuth album, but still solid.
You know what? Not bad, but there is definitely better
Was not aware that Sonic the Hedgehog was in a band in his younger days!
Sonic Youth just doesn’t do anything for me. It seems like the sort of thing I would love, but I’ve just never really gotten into them. One of life’s great mysteries, I guess.
Shadow of a Doubt's initial melody is lovely, I'd love to know what instrument that is! cool vocals too... I imagine many of the stranger guitar sounds might have been pretty novel at that time. In The Kingdom #19 is unlike anything I've ever heard, I thought it was pretentious at first but it actually tells a compelling scene and the music frames it with sound effects as if narrating a play :D didn't care too much for the 2 tracks after that personally (NOPE the break in Death To Our Friends at 3:09 makes it worth it)... Secret Girls mellow piano kinda reminds me of Drukqs - Aphex Twin lol 5/10 or 6/10 overall
Hm, not sure how this is near the top of the list. I liked a few tracks in the record and they are quite good at making a lot of noise in the middle of the music. But I don't think I will be reaching for this. 3/5 eh
Siguiendo con la tradición neoyorkina de The Velvet Underground, Sonic Youth nos muestra EVOL; lo que no deja de ser sorprendente sobretodo para la evolución de lo que consideramos como "indie" o "música alternativa". A pesar de la originalidad, las composiciones caóticas y de temas sórdidos, no puedo dejar de escuchar algo de White Light/White Heat en las composiciones. Dicho esto, no quito el mérito de introducir a toda una nueva generación a la experimentación y a los sonidos que juegan al borde de lo músical y el ruido. Una pieza fundamental para la música alternativa que podría escuchar mil y una veces. Pistas destacadas: Shadow of Doubt Green Light Madonna, Sean and Me Bubblegum
This isn't a great album, its not even the best sonic youth album. Why in the world would this be on this list? Anyway, its not great or even really good but its also not completely unlisten-able. 3/5
Not for me
It’s a mood. It’s okay.
meh
Crude, dark and twisted, this was what I needed the most in a hard day... I can feel their angry inside myself... So rude, chaotic and distorted. My kind of thing.
2.8
I’ve always wanted to like Sonic Youth because I feel like I should, but they’ve just never sunk in for me. This listen didn’t change that.
Side A like future albums, really cool and driving forward Side B, the experimental one. You gotta be in the mood to appreciate it. Not their best album, but enjoyable in all.
Irrelevant.
Love Sonic Youth. This might be my least favorite sonic youth album, but still one easily above 4/5, far from perfection, yet a work of art. The way they used music and noise to reach out and tell a story is so intellectual. It's always nice to listen to some noise rock every now and then. I love In the Kingdom #19, it's my favorite track in this album, so beautifully done. Not as great as Goo and Daydream Nation, yes, but this one should still be somewhere close to 4.5/5 and that's not an accurate description for in reality it's not a 4.5/5 thing-y. It's more like a "depend on my mood I would either give it a 5 or a 4" kind of stuff.
Didn't really do much for me. Not particularly memorable. Nowhere near as good as Sister. Disappointing.
Bit warbly
I don't get it. Guess I'm a square.
It sounds like it was recorded with two microphones on the opposite end of a large, abandoned warehouse from the band.
1. violence - 1 2. doubt - 1.5 3. pouuer - 1 4. kingdom - 1 5. green - 1.5 6. friendz - 1.5 7. girl - 1 8. marilyn - 1 9. madonna - 1.5 10. gum - 1
Awesome
Another awful SY album...surprise
It was fine, but didn't really grab me, nothing too amazing in my opinion
My goodness nothing is worse than this. I’m feeling optimistic for what is to come because quite literally you cannot get worse than this. The only POSSIBLE reason this album could be on this list is of influence on what not to do. This was HORRIBLE.
oh no NONONONO you are not giving me a goddamn FIFTH fucking Sonic Youth album Calling bullshit right here right now. I think we should all get to throw a flag or call for VAR or get some hard nope after 900 reviews to throw it back in the bin, call a suspension, any analogy you like. FIVE?? And I listened - again - and yes this record predictably sounds like the album cover. These are not songs. These are not serious people. eat my ass. that's my review: eat my ass. 0/10 💩🪠🤡🪠☢️🏳️
Harsh, kinda punky, rock
I don't love Sonic Youth but I've come to appreciate them and find their music interesting and different. Honestly, for EVOL being released in 1986, it sounds a lot like other alternative music in the aughts. The noise rock aspect lets them veer too much into the abrasive category, though I recognize that's my own taste. The instrumentals show Sonic Youth actually has talent--because they could be quite powerful. The female vocalist stood out the most to me. Her vocals were wispy and enticing. And I kept thinking she had the most interesting lyrics to sing. I'd say this is the best showing of Sonic Youth I've heard.
Prior to this project, I had heard a few Sonic Youth songs, and enjoyed them quite a bit. So I just always assumed I was a prime candidate to be a Sonic Youth fan. Well, after a couple Sonic Youth albums on this project, I think I was just simply wrong about that. With Sonic Youth, I constantly find myself on the fence. I want to like aspects of their alternative, punky vocals and instrumentals. But they always have a tendency to take it a bit too far into the noise rock territory for me, to the point where it just sounds like a bunch of, well, noise. In terms of just being all noise and little substance, this album is among the worst offenders from Sonic Youth thus far. And honestly, do we really need this much Sonic Youth on this project?
Top Three Songs: 1) Tom Violence 2) Starpower 3) Marilyn Moore Bottom Three Songs: 1) Death to Our Friends 2) Madanna, Sean, and Me 3) Green Light
A bit poppier feeling and melodic than Daydream Nation. It's also less shouty, but doesn't have quite the same thrill of noise guitar. A different experience. Overall, it's good, but it felt a tiny touch lightweight and over before it started. I bet if I gave this repeat listens, I'd find more to enjoy about it, but on initial hearing, it's a solid high-end three.
I normally try to get through an album. This one is bad. I think this is the third Sonic Youth album so far, and it’s probably the worst.
Only okay song is the first. FUCK noise.
Fuck this band
Never understood the appeal of Sonic Youth.
In the Kingdom # 19 is a great driving song! I was obsessed with this band in my 20s, played this one on heavy repeat. Something about the guitars, JG Ballard vibe etc etc
# 378 : I don't love it, I don't hate it. It's just sloppy noise-rock. This is my second Sonic Youth albums on this list. I don't get what all the fuss is about. Sometimes this list feels like things are included just because they were really popular at the time, but does anyone actually still listen to this album?
i had their poster up in my bedroom as a teenager and i loved Sister and Daydream Nation, both of which are better than this record (i also had Goo, which is probably worse). now i figure they're kind of a buncha jerkoffs. one of us hasn't aged well. either way, i'll never forgive 'em for being bullies to Nardwuar.
Rejected
About 1/2 way through and really liking this so far, it's really resonated with my mood for the evening. I'll definitely revisit Sonic Youth and this album I think. I certainly would have listened to this a lot when I was younger, I'm not sure why I didn't discover them until this album challenge. Not super thrilled with the word-jazz of In The Kingdom #19. My 14yro son accurately described this as "sounds kinda goth" Bubblegum is a lot of fun
Some really interesting sounds, but the vocals take me out of it. 3 stars.
-this is really interesting I’d actually been meaning to listen to Sonic Youth for the first time just the day before I got this album -it didn’t disappoint! I love the cold and dense atmosphere, it made me feel like badass while I was folding my laundry -Favorites are Shadow Of A Doubt, In The Kingdom #19, and Bubblegum
Great atmosphere/tunes
Sonic Youth is not a band for me. Too harsh and droning
I guess this is kind of experimental, but most of the tracks just don't sound good. I liked the mostly spoken-word Shadow of a Doubt and Bubblegum, the rest were hard to listen to and vaguely unpleasant, which I am sure was intentional.
For some reason I have always liked Sonic Youth. Technically I probably shouldn't. It is distorted, sometimes screamy, garish, hard to explain... but it is somehow a feeling, an atmosphere surrounds it that works to soothe the soul, almost like by trying to process the crazy sounds coming in we have to calm ourselves down first. But I don't know what it is really. If there is any (not really a) fault to it is that you cannot have Sonic Youth in the background, because it sort of forces you to pay attention to it. you have to really pay attention to the lyrics for full effect, and if you do, it can be quite an interesting experience.
Really felt like the definition of a half-baked album. Every track would start out decent, and then devolve into discordant noise. Strange and unappealing
Just sounds like a bunch of noise. High 1
Another disappointing album
I have heard about the band but never listened to them. Today I found out why. This wasnt an album I enjoyed at all.
On a different day, or in a different era of my life, this would’ve been five stars. Nowadays, I can’t find objective access in. They don’t seem to be transmitting much value aside from a ‘we’re weird and different, therefore, we’re cool’ vibe. Although, I don’t doubt they would have been a part of a very vibrant scene and would have been very exciting to see perform. An ex of mine’s mom used to tour with Sonic Youth, and she made it sound like the ultimate. For meetups with the in-laws in those days, we’d go see Lydia Lunch speak, rather than have like a standard brunch with the folks. Jamming was always fun, and usually bled into these noise rock sound collages like heard on Evol. It is all a lifestyle and mindframe. I guess I’ve moved on.
Algo denso pero bastante poderoso y me hizo sentir punquetillo. Escucharía más de los sónicos.
There is a small part of me that still regrets the way I reviewed and scored Daydream Nation. Going back and looking at what I wrote, I don’t know if it would still stand. It’s been just over a year since I heard that, and truthfully I can’t recall one memorable thing about it. I think it’s caused me to have to this warped perspective of the band and their fans. I want so badly to enjoy their music and that record. But I was presented with anything that made me feel inclined to do so. In that original review, I said “What I want to hear when I listen to other Sonic Youth records is more. More heaviness. Go crazier. Be more experimental and weird.” Funny how that has aged considering the context of this album. This would mark the beginning of the band’s very strongly praised period from the mid-80s and into the 90s. Kim Gordon calls it their gothic record. And it represents a much darker and less appealing side of their music. What you are actually hearing isn’t too far off from the noisy post-punk and goth music of the time period. But it has their unique spin on it. Kim’s voice is still just as lifeless as ever. I don’t think the music itself is terrible. The first three songs start things off very strong, and led me to believe I would be in for something especially interesting. But after that, the only song that even remotely caught my attention was the longer closing track. To me, the issue that still remains which bars me from really enjoying this is how inconclusive it feels. There are so many times where a proper pay off moment or exciting climactic part feels worthwhile or even necessary. There doesn’t have to be a massive explosive end to every song. But just something more. The only example in which I feel this works is Shadow of a Doubt, where the almost melancholic vibe adds to the song. Even more so than their most celebrated album, I am still searching for more within Sonic Youth’s music. And I’m still holding out hope that one day I can find it. Rating: 5/10
Yeah, it's a classic of noise rock. OK, it's been very influential. It's just not that enjoyable.
Talentless drivel
It's album like this that makes me realise how much I like Sonic Youth. I'd not spent any time with this one previous so look forward to a few more listens. Faves: Shadown Of A Doubt, Secret Girl
This project has solidified the idea that I've been missing out by not digging into Sonic Youth more heavily. Definitely gonna go through their whole discography when this is over. I really dug this! I'm not sure whether it's this specific album's properties, or just that I've grown to appreciate their schtick overall, but I think this is my fave of their albums on the list. Hmmm, there's a comment on last.fm saying "Probably their most boring and unremarkable album", which made me feel like a noob. But then on wikipedia it's mentioned that Kim Gordon has referred to it as the band’s “goth record” so that makes me feel better! 🖤 Fave tracks - "Shadow of a Doubt" and "Secret Girl" are both awesome. Kim Gordon breathy vocal goth tracks, yes please. "Death to our Friends" rocks. "Bubblegum" is a kick ass closer!
Tried and failed previously to get into SY albums other than Daydream Nation. Having a greater appreciation for them and other similar bands helped me this time I think. Couple of listens but I get it now. Avant-garde garage rock almost. Saved down.
Didn’t do much for me
Sonic Youth - a big name, but I never caught on to their appeal.
Pretty decent. Enjoyed the general sound.
Some of the music was interesting, couldn’t really get behind the vocals though. Didn’t really capture my attention for the most part but there were some interesting bits. Madonna, Sean and Me did not need to be a 7 minute song either, but it would be a great night out.
E.V.O.L - Excessive, Vapid and 'Orribly Loud. What I thought would be a run of the mill heavy metal album turned into something far worse, as I was suddenly roundhouse kicked into a soundtrack from an overly complicated 90s slasher movie. Heavy metal is still quite an apt description for what I can only describe as 'fingers in the plug socket' style music, because 90% of it made me feel like I was being hunted by Leatherface and his heavy, metal chainsaw. The album was akin to what was initially, quite a novel ghost train ride. I sat there and pretended it hadn't give me the willies (I'd had enough of them listening to little Richard's album yesterday). My bravery soon turned to boredom, screams turned to yawns, and the bird I'd taken on the ride to try and cop a cheeky feel of in the dark, steadily got uglier.. as the ghost train went on, and on, and on. Occasionally something would pop out that piqued my interest, but I was otherwise trapped on the janky, dated masturbatathon that was this shite fairground 'attraction'.. forever edging itself towards hell. Someone tell the miserable gypo running the show I want to get off. 2 stars, only because I listened to a lot of it whilst driving and it was fun to pretend I was the one chasing people down country lanes in the middle of the night.
sick of listening to stuff that I feel like im meant to be high to understand. This wasn’t even edgy, it was just fucking boring. Apparently if you sample any non-instrument and loop it you’re creative. Look at the bitch ok the album cover too. Have a fucking day off you loser.
Discord in lieu of any compelling ideas. Zero likability. Massively overrated band. I've been dragged to plenty of gigs that sound and smell exactly like this, and despite what people say, nobody is having a good time.
I really wanted to like this sonic youth album. I like some of their other stuff, but I never listened to this album. Sometimes I just don’t get Sonic Youth and this is one of those cases I think.
Future 1 Sonic Youth 0 (2.5/5)
Good start, got boring in the middle, great finale. Not their best album, not their worst. I enjoyed it for the most part. 3/5
I was planning on being impressed but very little came
As a band that was primarily a noise-rock band, E.V.O.L. was the album that Sonic Youth began to add more structure to their songs making them much more listenable, but still maintaining an avant-garde edge and noisy sounds. My two favourite Sonic Youth albums are the next pair of releases, Sister and Daydream Nation and while some of their sound was evolving towards those albums, they weren't quite there yet. A solid, often over-looked album, it's still much more preferred to most of what was going on in 1986, though music from alternative/college rock bands were starting to create great music left of the dial. A cool record, play it loud!
This is surprisingly commercial, for Sonic Youth, in their pre Dirt days. Solid album.
An indie rock staple that still has meaning and purpose today.
ylevol
Nicht meine Musik. Noise Rock ist nichts für mich.
This was....listenable.
Probably what Velvet Underground would have sounds like if they had been an 80’s band. A nice and interesting vibe is going on here, but the musicianship and vocals are weak. Anyhow, as with VU, I get the feeling that this is not what it is about anyway. Rather it is a kind of we don’t care if we are not that technically skilled, we come out with something more important than that, as an art thing. I am divided… but overall it does not really appeal to me. Probably because I do not really get the lyrics either.
cold soul
good rock
Even if I ignore the speaking and distortion, the songs are decent at best.
Not bad sound wise, just unorganized as an album.
This is better than other albums by Sonic Youth but I don't really see much interesting stuff in it.
bastante malo
Nice sound, not a lot to say
This seemed like an appropriate album to listen to the day before Halloween. That was the best part for me.
Never understood why so many people and critics liked this band. Not much in the way of melodies and the noise stuff isn’t that interesting. If they didn’t have a female in the group would they have been as popular?
My second sonic youth album. This one is sitting a little better with me, but still not really my thing. I understand how much they were pushing rock music to its limits and trying to break the tropes of rock music, but i just really dont enjoy the dissonant sound and depressing tone. While technically skilled, the music just isnt for me
I liked the other SY album a lot more this seemed a little less organized and grungy
Good, but not as fun as the first one we listened to.
Why are they on here so much? I really don’t get it. I’ve tried on every album that has popped up and I can’t get past a 2 rating. I don't get the hype.
2.4 - not for me this
Sometimes its magical, sometimes its just madness. I appreciate the energy as an important part of Sonic Youth, but the fact of the matter is I would rather skip the vast majority of this album. The first few tracks toe the line, then the middle of the album is a really (intentionally) chaotic scramble, then I really quite love Madonna, Sean and Me. Fave Tracks: Starpower, Madonna, Sean and Me 2.7/5
Cool, I liked how doomy it was. Overall I don’t love Sonic Youth as much as I thought it would but it’s good stuff.
Had to turn this off when struggling with mayonnaise
The instrumentals are fine for the most part, but the vocals are boring and sound uninterested. I’ve heard of this band, but have never listened to them before. After this, I have to say… I’m not a fan. Favorite track: Shadow of a Doubt
Not for me.
I found this a bit samey but appreciated Generous 3 as I wasn’t in the mood
This was so depressing
I enjoy this 80s almost goth era of sonic youth. Their noisy psych feels more post post-punk while it still carries the torch of their no wave inspirations and influences but in a more flatly affected, ready-to-drone way. This record is less wholly composed and artistically complete than either Sister or Daydream Nation but it is as interesting and enjoyable for its differences. It's also uncanny in how it can grow on you over time. It's like the Sonic Youth album I reach for when I want to hear that band, but also not listen to anything I'm too familiar with or that will grab hold the same way their more "classic SY" records do. It's a four-star album punching above its weight.
It's okay but not rotation worthy. Goo on the other hand better? Just not developed enough soz
Even though this came out in 1986, it sounds like the first album of the 90's, that alone is pretty cool. Sonic Youth would go to make better records after this, so I'm not so sure this one stands out enough to be essential. Key tracks: Star Power
Like I said about the velvet underground: this is not good. Pretentious art-fools (sorry Kim, I think you're great) being SO VERY EDGY! MY DAD DIDN'T LOVE ME. Fuck off with this. Stop calling it punk, I know punk, this is some bullshit.
- Ich find Sonic Youth irgendwie geil - Kann total verstehen, wenn die einem auf den Sack gehen - Aber ich finde, die haben immer eine ganz besondere eigene Stimmung, die sich in ihrem Sound ausdrückt. Ähnlich charakteristisch wie bei den Doors z.B., halt was ganz eigenes. - Experimentell, abgefahren und trotzdem irgendwie chillig und wiedermal so wunderbar melancholisch - Für Underground Musik sicherlich eine der bedeutensten Bands überhaupt - Habe schon in einige Alben von Sonic Youth reingehört aber kannte keinen Song, bis auf das geile Instrumental von Shadow Of A Doubt Rating: 3,5/5
This appeals to the dissatisfied youth in my past. Favorite track: "Bubble Gum," probably.
Lots of innovation, very unique, very authentic and thoughtful. Much better than I expected. Definitely deserves a place on this list. 4/5
The individually memorable tracks are mostly gathered at the beginning of the album, and after that, it turns more experimental without traditional song structure. Pretty fun to listen to if you like weird guitar sounds.
Fine
Meh
Best cool bij vlagen, lekker experimenteel, maar slaat daardoor toch ook geregeld de plank mis.
Eghhhhhh
Атмосферный шум от крутых мальчиков и девочки. Лучшая песня - Starpower.
Some songs remind me of Hole without the energy, some songs don't make sense to me at all.
Primer acercamiento a este trabajo de Sonic Youth. E.V.O.L. (1986) se trata del cuarto álbum de estudio de la banda neoyorkina, el cual brilla dentro de su discografía como su primer trabajo masivamente alabado por la comunidad musical, significando el primer gran vistazo a lo que vendría después con trabajos crónicamente discutidos como Daydream Nation o Goo. Tomando influencias del Noise Rock, Post Punk y Gothic Rock, este Lp de 39 minutos envuelve al oyente en una ambientación surreal y sombría. Así, considero que el mejor apartado de este trabajo es el sonido que emula la banda a través de su experimentación con los ruidos y las guitarras eléctricas. Asimismo, destaco las letras en cada una de las canciones, las cuales involucran a sus relatores en el mismo mundo que construyen al abarcar las crudas temáticas de la depresión y el caos. Ahora, considero que este trabajo peca en algunos aspectos de la ejecución, siendo el más notorio el despliegue vocal en algunas de las canciones. En comparación, Pornography (1982) de The Cure divaga en el mismo género y temáticas que el trabajo aquí presente y, sin embargo, nunca escuchamos a Robert Smith cantando desganado. Entiendo que la temática del álbum podría encajar el estilo vocal que los interpretes despliegan en algunas de las canciones, pero no puedo evitar hacer la comparación con otros trabajos similares que demuestran una alternativa (a mis ojos) mucho más cautivante. Asimismo, destaco canciones que involucran relatos hablados de los miembros de la banda (como In the Kingdom #19 o Secret Girl), las cuales a pesar de tratarse de estilos vocales monotonales si veo en ellos que los interpretes se involucran con sus relatos. En conclusión, considero que se trata de un buen trabajo por parte de la banda neoyorkina, el cual es también un primer acercamiento necesario para comprender el importante fenómeno que significa su discografía. FAVTRAXS: Shadow Of A Doubt, In the Kingdom #19, Secret Girl, Expressway to Yr. Skull LEASTFAV: Green Light 3/5 (en la teoría podría ser un 3.5/5)
I'm just not unhappy enough to enjoy this at all.
Noisy and a bit ethereal, and okay to listen to for me.
Nahh
A few ok tracks but overall it just did nothing for me.
Honestly I feel like I should've given this more of a chance than I have. Their later stuff is still the peak to me but the roughness of this album really works with their sound.
Some standouts.
SY is over-rated
I didn't mind Tom Violence, Shadow of a Doubt or Secret Girl. The rest had too much of a performance piece vibe for me. The sounds weren't all bad, I just felt like they should be along with an art installation or a performance. On their own they felt unfinished. Some were totally lost on me, like Into the Kingdom, and didn't really fit into the whole album.
Evol is backwards Love. I really like the first 3 songs: Tom Violence, Shadow of A Doubt, and Starpower. Then Lee Renaldo lays down one of his spoken word pieces and the album kinda goes downhill for me from there. I love Thurston's guitar alchemy in Tom Violence. Kim is so whispery and alluring in Shadow of a Doubt. And Starpower is as close to a rock song as you are going to get on this album. Then it gets all artsy.. or maybe too much acid. I love this band but this is not their best.
This was pretty creative, but also kind of weird. Goes a little too much into the experimental world for me. There wasn't anything I felt I could really grab onto, and some of it was just too noisy.
Heel cool. Het album erna vond ik nog gaver
Am I old because I think this is noise?
Just not feeling this…
Pretty skeptical about this exercise now with this being the 4th album by SY to make the cut. It is pretty cool to see the incomparable Mike Watt in his post-Minuteman/pre-firehose days playing bass on a few tracks. And while you can hear seedlings here throughout that definitely lay foundations which other bands take from later, this effort doesn’t merit a placement in the 1001. Some moments are cool, but noise for noise sake is a bit much.
Fourth SY album overall and second of the week… this one made me feel like maybe this band is slightly over represented on this project. Didn’t really feel like this one deserved to be included, but was fine.
I dig a lot of this but loses me when it gets into the non-musical noise. Perhaps one day I’ll come back to Sonic Youth and be like, “oh now I totally get it!” But for me now all their albums seems to be falling in that 3-3.5 star range.
Another day, another Sonic Youth album. Similar to their other albums I like parts of this but it doesn't come together for an amazing album. 3.25/5
Not for me. 1/5
I didn't expect to enjoy this, but had it on repeat all day. Bubble gum, Starpower and Madonna, Sean and me, went straight onto my playlist.
I like Sonic Youth and all, but no way do they deserve a whopping 5 spots on this list. Daydream Nation, Goo and Dirty are more than enough to get the picture of them. Hadn't listened to this one before though, so I'm not too mad. Really enjoyed "Shadow of a Doubt" and the experimental guitar sounds.
Weinig aan als je het mij vraagt.
In some ways, this album is approaching a record, it's the only one I've reviewed that somewhat approaches the awfulness of 'The Cramps' album (don't think I'll ever get over the experience of that one, it was horrendous). Couldn't make it all the way through so it's a 1 star for me.
Very dull and draining. I had this record on while I was working and it just didn't stand out. Couple cool tracks, but overall it didn't have anything that stood out. Before I realized it, the algorithm took over after the record was over and played something immediately more grasping ("Celebrity Skin" by Hole). Not impressed by this one, but it's not deserving of 1 star.
A great early documentation of their budding early sonic squall.
“My name is bubblegum!” I listened all the way through, it was a bit painful but doable
I liked it.
A little bit too indie, a little bit too much "garage"
Sonic Youth is a group I need to spend more time with in general, so I'm always grateful when they pop up on this list. This record definitely deserves a few more listens; it's dense, experimental, and all over the place. But in a good way! I'm eager to digest it more, what I heard on first listen was interesting. Also if you're reading this and haven't checked out Kim Gordon's latest solo album "The Collective" go do it!!
Given Pitchfork have 3 of their albums in their top 100 of the 80s, including Daydream Nation at 1 and this at 31, it's fair to say I probably don't appreciate Sonic Youth as much as I could. I found Evol quite a hard listen.. a little Cure like in places and with plenty of the guitar experimentation that SY are known for. Really lacks pop structures though so maybe an acquired taste?
Interesting but no real standouts and nothing that really draws me back. A little slow.
LP
No private session used for Spotify. I listened to this album three times, hoping something would catch, nothing did. I liked the album, but there wasn't anything here to really grab me, nothing wrong with it, though.
..
Doesn’t sound as noisy as I expected.
This is some of their best stuff.
I don’t love
Not their best album, but some good grooves.
Bad
Las atmósferas ruidosas y en ocasiones oscuras y los paisajes sonoros inconexos en forma de collage de los primeros trabajos de Sonic Youth evolucionan aquí al incorporar ligeros toques pop y melodías más lúdicas. Es el caso de la ensoñación oscura de "Tom Violence", apertura del disco, y de menera contendia, "Shadow of a Doubt" (de lo que más me gusta del disco). Además destaca el tenso instrumental "Death to Our Friends". Pero también encontramos la experimentación ruidista en temas como "In the Kingdom #19" o las voces deslizantes de Kim Gordon envueltas por un repetitivo bucle de caja de música en "Secret Girls". La nueva dirección que empieza a tomar la música de Sonic Youth en este disco se hace patente en su versión del tema pop "Bubblegum" (no incluida en el LP original, es otro de los temas que más me gustan del álbum) de Kim Fowley, eso sí con un punto de sordidez que lo aleja del original. También destaca la hipnótica canción con la que concluía el LP original "Expressway to Yr. Skull", titulada en reediciones posteriores como "Madonna, Sean and Me".
not great bob. this is for people who's way cooler than me. what's wrong with a melody now and then? the cool kids get it, i don't.
Early Sonic Youth - lacking the killer punch of later works, but all the ingredients are here.
This hasn't aged as well as some other SY albums, but the off-kilter guitars of tunes like Green Light and Shadow are still prime Sonic Youth, and this still has a nod to their No Wave roots but with quite a psychedelic mood. Not their best album, but a great band.
I'm generally pretty keen on raw, scuzzy indie noise rock, but then I never seem to enjoy it as much as I'd hoped. This was the case again with this album. I kept it in my rotation for a few days, hoping it would click but it never really did. It's a good overall vibe and I feel it's worthy of more than a 2, but I still feel a bit disappointed.
Fun alt rock
Favorite Track: Shadow of a Doubt
A transitional album. It’s good – pretty close to great, even, especially the songs with Gordon doing lead vocals – but I’m not sure if I absolutely *needed* to hear Sonic Youth try to Keep It Real™️ to their no wave/noise roots while also trying hard to not write a pop hook. Maybe I’d suggest EVOL to someone who’s already a fan of the other essential Sonic Youth records as a Tier 2 Essential Listen. As someone who’s only recently become a fan of the band herself, though, this style and sound isn’t my jam, and I’m not sure if EVOL is particularly innovative or unique enough within that style and sound to warrant a specific call out. Maybe this would click more if I’d gotten this on CD 10-15 years ago and felt compelled to constantly replay it in order to get my money’s worth. Today, though, I’d rather just move on to the better, more essential albums that came after this that actually achieved the balance between noise and pop that EVOL was so desperately trying to strike.
Don't even recall it
Lots of sections of ambient noise that fail to act as an interesting counterpoint to the lyric-driven sections, which are also quite dull. Not much to write home about on this one. Listened to: walking on LVRT. Favorite track: Bubblegum
Liked it didn’t love it.
I didn't listen to much Sonic Youth in my youth, and not this album, so I don't have that nostalgic feeling that I think would help me appreciate this more.
it’s not the best Sonic Youth album, but damn are these guys good. Why can’t Moore band sound like this? See what I did there????
I think I would be cooler if I liked more Sonic Youth. But sometimes albums like this make it hard to be cool.
I loved the album "Dirty" but find this so much less appealing.
Didn't know this as well as some of their catalogue, and really great to have a few listens today, without the sheen of nostalgia. Loved it. Recommended reading: Kim Gordon's Girl in a Band.
I wish I knew these guys back in the day. I love everything they do. 4 stars
I always happily claimed to others that i disliked two bands even though i recognized their relevance - Sonic Youth and Pink Floyd - since starting this list I changed my mind about the former - I’ve begun to like them. This is not their best record but still a good moody one - a template to thousands of garage bands that tried to be this and fail. Reminded me of the sounds emanating from rehearsal spaces but this was actuslly good.
This is a really interesting album in that it’s significantly more approachable than earlier Sonic Youth, but it’s still a long ways off from the more direct songwriting to come. I love this band and I think this album deserves a little more attention.
Fantastic album
you get what you paid for. A noise band that wants to be lo-fi. If they actually tried to be a proficient band, these would be some great pop songs, but they want to be brooding and crabby. fine.
Liked it at the start but went off the rails a bit. Weird to think this came out the same year as the queen is dead by the smiths
The perfect soundtrack for my foggy late-night drive home from work. Albeit not on the level of Daydream Nation or Goo, in my opinion, very engrossing experimental, noisy goodness. 4/5
Noisy, grungy, punky, velvet undergroundy. None of the songs on this album stuck with me, save for the super graphic one about the car accident.
Just loud noises for the sake of being loud
Dull
Very goth with lots of bells. A well put together album, but no need to explore further at this point. (2,4*s)
I think you have to be in the right mood (or a teenager) for this one because I am not getting it at all. Maybe it was avant-garde in the late 80's but it just sounds like a bunch of discordant, gritty noise now. It has the elements to be good like really leaning into the edginess or surreal sound but it just falls short on all accounts. Female vocalist is annoying, nothing stood out, it's bad without a "Shadow of a Doubt."
Couldn't tell if I was listening to a rock album or a soundtrack to a movie about the kid on the cover. Really abstract and dreamlike. Not sure what we got going on here really. Experimental? More than some of the other goth rock we've heard? Shadow of a Doubt was other tracks have solid instrumentals but I don't think the album stands out. It's pretty good but I need a Sonic Youth fan to explain why it makes the list...2.5.
I'm not sure where the praise for this is coming from. Mostly generic skippable noise rock? Some reverbed guitars with washed-out lyrics? Maybe I'm missing something here? On the surface level I feel like this should have resonated with me a tiny bit, but I don't know, this did nothing for me. By the end of it I couldn't wait for it to be over. 1.14 stars
Started off strong but went downhill from there. You can only make the same strange guitar sounds so many times.
I always knew Sonic Youth were there but had no interest in them at all. Might have heard a track or two before but they must have washed over me as if they never existed. I set off to listen to this album positively hoping I would learn something new but to no avail I’m afraid. Found myself concentrating more on an ipad card game I picked up after track 1. 1/5 24/7/24
I've tried to like Sonic Youth for years and this is probably the closest I've come to it, but there's still something not quite hitting right. Honestly, some of the guitar solos just sound kind of like... what I play when I jam with my friends? And really it can be better described as either trial and error noodling or fretting a bunch of strings and hoping it sounds cool. Which is more of a negative toward Thurston Moore's playing than it is a compliment to my own. Maybe one of the other SY records on this list will land better.
I was tempted to give this one 1 star, but I gave it a second listen and bumped it to a 2. It’s not as unpleasant as I initially thought it was, but it’s not particularly interesting or exciting either.
How much Sonic Youth is in this book? They're cool but I never thought of them as critical darlings.
Too ominous for me. Madonna, Sean, and me was somewhat enjoyable
Classical Sonic Youth.
An ok album
Good punk energy, liked the vocals and guitars quite a bit. 3.2
It’s not noisy No Wave and it’s not Daydream Nation. It’s the beginnings of something but not the peak.
Slow album. Never really made me interested. Surprising cause I have like some of their other work. 2.5/5 Won’t listen again
amo vos sonic youth
It was ok
Nice stuff - lots of big ringing guitars and urgent drums
So much sonic youth!!! This is the weakest by far
EVOLution of boredom and mediocre music. Wasn't entirely terrible, but definitely it was a wasted time.
I like this album. It didn't really blow me away but I enjoyed it nonetheless. Not a whole lot to say about this one, it's pretty standard 80s alt. Sounds pretty raw and edgy, well played, interesting compositions. I dig it. 3.5/5 but rounded down because there wasn't anything that really wowed me.
Unfortunately boring and dull. Uninterested vocals, little message in the lyrics, and not much to listen to otherwise. While I can appreciate angsty teen rock, this album isn't it. Shadow of a Doubt was cool but that was about it.
Enjoyed this. Not my favorite Sonic Youth album, but still good. Honestly surprised how many of their albums are on this list.
👍👍
Might be good, need to be in a different mood
meh
Noise
I really want to like these guys but somehow they snuck a handful of albums on this list and I truthfully don't get their music. Instrumentals aren't particularly great, nevermind the singing. Just trying to find one catchy song but still nothing. This reminds me of angry teenagers making music. 3/10.
No thank you
e.v.o.l sonic youth 1986 1. tom violence: 5/10 2. shadow of a doubt: 4/10 3. starpower: 6/10 4. in the kingdow #19: 2/10 5. green light: 5/10 6. death to our friends: 5/10 7. secret girl: 3/10 8. marilyn moore: 2/10 9. madonna, sean and me: 7/10 10. bubble gum: 6/10 overall rating: 4,5/10
I know they were very influential to some of my favorite bands, but I just can’t get into their music. Too unrefined and messy.
Masso
EVOL is the third studio album by Sonic Youth, originally released in 1986. I'm really not very familiar with Sonic Youth's early work. I'm mainly familiar with the record that would be released 2 years after this in 1988's Daydream Nation. I can clearly hear the roots of that record on here. I was expecting a more noisy sound but there are actually a few pop-adjacent tracks on here. This record is probably where they started to shift to more alternative/pop. The overall vibe of this record is very dark, it's kinda unlike anything they've done since. It's almost goth rock. There are also some cool ambient moments. Overall a surprisingly diverse and sonically interesting record.
Kynntist þessari seint enda var þetta ekkert spilað á Íslandi í þá daga. Fíla mjög vel. Hrátt og tilraunakennt.
1. "Tom Violence" Not great, lots of heavy distortion, but pretty whiny and boring. 2. "Shadow of a Doubt" Starts off with whispery vocals in the verse, doinky, artsy guitar, then a hard distorted chorus, ending with whispery verse. Nothing great. 3. "Starpower" This song shows signs of promise, but there's a bridge that doesn't really work. There are things in it that work, but more things that don't. 4. "In the Kingdom #19" Ugh, just bad free verse poetry over what might have been a decent background. But it just screams "look at how different we are." Being different because you're different is cool, being different because you're trying to be different isn't. 5. "Green Light" The mix is terrible. These guys have elements of good stuff, they just can't put it together. 6. "Death to Our Friends" Instrumental. It's okay, don't need to ever hear it again. 7. "Secret Girl" Ugh, stupid niose stuff in the intro. Followed by something that could be a song if they knew how to write a song. 8. "Marilyn Moore" Pretty bad song. It's weird because there might be something there, but they have no clue how to flesh it out, and that's consistent through the whole album so far. So far it's still a solid 2, which is one above being total shit. 9. "Expressway to Yr. Skull" This is just awful. Terrible song. Tugging this bitch back to a 1. Let's hope the last one kicks it up a notch. Just boring crap. Just end the fucking song already!!!! Jesus Christ! 10. "Bubblegum" Best song on the album, a solid 3/10. I'm like 4 albums in and this isn't even the worst or 2nd worst I've heard and it was still pretty terrible.
a healthy dose of chaos i like first track
Thoughts before listening: Everything about Sonic Youth says I should love them, but outside of a handful of songs, I just don't. Its too atonal and weird for me maybe. Every album has a couple of interesting songs mixed in with a bunch of over distorted, tuneless noise rock non-songs. I'm not sure if I've listened to Evol before, but I'd expect more of the same. Review: So I think Sonic Youth is just going to be the band that I respect a whole lot more than I enjoy. At least not until later in their career when they started adding some melody to the mix with albums like Daydream Nation. I guess I'm just not as cool as I pretend. The best tracks here are the instrumental \"Death to Our Friends\" and \"Madonna, Sean, and Me\". Everything else is just so dark and droney and not for me. 2-stars cause I just can't give a respectable band like Sonic Youth 1-star.
It's funny how Sonic Youth gets stripped from one the best Grunge bands. As they were pioneering that genre. Their songs are far from accessible at times and I think this record suffers from it. Some cool ideas going on. The secret song in Nirvana's Nevermind album called Endless Nameless has a lot of sounds thwt I hear in this record. A lot of noise. A lot of chaos. A lot of angst. This record just wasn't that fun to listen to overall.
didn't like this one, too noisy, depressive... nah
Curious, took me by surprise several times, in good ways and... strange ways.
Surprised this is in here - a more obscure Sonic Youth pick than say Daydream Nation, Goo, Sister, or Dirty, but I can see that it is a great snapshot of all the elements that make them so special. EVOL is such a nice intersection between noisy and songsy, and has a lot of things I love on it. I'm a massively biased lover of Sonic Youth.
A band I feel I should love but leave me a bit cold. This though I feel is the best. And I'd probably calk Expressway as my fave SY track of all
Some tracks are easy to get into and jam with, others just drag on with self-importance and trying far too hard to make a point. Pretentiousness disguised as self-awarenss.
On EVOL, Sonic Youth stumble into a moody sweet spot that makes their usual art-noise provocations feel less like a grad seminar and more like an actual atmosphere you can sink into. Draped in near-goth shadow and powered by a cavernous low end, the album thrives on tension and restraint, with shorter, punchier misfires that don’t overstay their welcome. Opener “Tom Violence” sets the tone with martial drums and a sense of looming drama, while Kim Gordon’s whispery menace on “Shadow of a Doubt” is genuinely unsettling in a way the band rarely nails this cleanly. “Green Light” clangs and lurches like an evil cousin of early Pixies before collapsing into feedback, and the closing epic “Expressway to Yr. Skull” reaches for a grandeur the vocals can’t quite match but almost pull off through sheer volume and intent. Sure, the spoken-word navel-gazing of “In the Kingdom #19” feels a little too pleased with itself, and “Marilyn Moore” is goth to the point of parody, but EVOL remains one of Sonic Youth’s more listenable and intriguing records—proof that when they dial down the hipster reflex, their noise actually hits harder.
I’m gonna need someone to sell me on this one. I couldn’t find an entry point into this album. It’s all minor chords, violent imagery and off-key instruments with echoing reverb. There’s a high level of craft and musicianship too but I just don’t see when or why I’d listen to this. I’ve liked some Sonic Youth in the past but I’m often appreciating them at a distance. And this one felt further away from me enjoying it than others.
I'm a passive Sonic Youth enjoyer- I can hear their music and generally have a good time listening, and I do recognize that they are a super influential band, but this record just kind of came and went. It almost felt like the genre Post-Rock, which I absolutely adore, but I think it fell flat because I was expecting a sound that is more like "Goo" or "Rather Ripped", both albums that I'm more familiar with and I more think of when I think of Sonic Youth. This one just kind of droned on and felt kind of depressing. That's OK, and the album isn't bad per se but I'm not sure if it should be on the list.
Tom Violence, the opener, is quite a good track. Shadow of a doubt - not bad Star power - surprisingly, I liked this In the kingdom - a definite No. Secret Girl - another one I liked. Overall, it's a fairly dark album, but the music/vocals lure you in. I suspected at the outset that this would be worth 2 stars, but ended up meriting a praiseworthy 4 stars from me
This is garbage. Apparently this is Sonic Youth's goth phase, so it's like goth crossed with shoegaze and alt rock, but really it's just noise. I'm sure a class of 2 Yr olds could make better music. I don't get this fad of noise rock. Untalented fuck-tards just wailing on musical instruments. Favourite songs: Bubblegum, Tom Violence Least favourite songs: Death to Our Friends, In the Kingdom #19, Green Light, Secret Girl, Marilyn Moore, "Madonna, Sean and Me" 1/5
Tror fan det är fjärde plattan med Sonic Youth jag får. Kanske skulle världen se bättre ut om Sonic Youth inte fanns.
Noice!
Had never recently listened to this one, never completed my journey through all the notable Sonic Youth albums, but wow this was a surprise. They really turned up the charms with this one, some excellent songs and an excellent brooding dark mood throughout. The apex of the album Expressway to Yr. Skull (or Madonna, Sean, and Me?) is so so good, maybe one of the top 5 best songs in their catalog. Also really enjoyed Shadow of a Doubt, that sets the tone for the whole album. Will be coming back to this one a lot as the seasons turn to fall/winter.
Noise rock, the only genre I hate more then indie folk
Pretty dull. Not my thing anyway.