My 1001 Albums Journey

'Hey Goo what's new!' Sonic Youth crossing over into more college-radio friendly alternative/indie rock. The opener hits all the right notes for the 1990s. Maybe they were listening to the Pixies around this time, the songs are leaner and tighter, especially for the opener 'Dirty Boots'. Kim Gordon gets some great moments on this album, kicking off with the haunting 'Tunic (Song for Karen)', and the classic 'Kool Thing'. There's still plenty of distortion and feedback for those looking for the more experimental Sonic Youth sound. Check out the end of 'Mote'! This song itself is sung by Lee Ranaldo, and reminds me of some of Husker Du's work. Even though the album sounds more radio friendly, 'My Friend Goo' hints that they're also taking the piss out of the college scene (as Nirvana often did). What a change into 'Disappearer' - such great guitar work. Things get more dissonant and noisy from then on - 'Mildred Piece', 'Cinderella' and the closer 'Titanium Expose' let Moore and Ranaldo lean into their guitar work, creating dense layers of angular and harsh riffs and solos. It's a classic and never gets old.