Trees Outside The Academy

Thurston Moore's Trees Outside the Academy album on the Ecstatic Peace label, contains 12 tracks and the pictures and booklet are cool.

1. Frozen GTR
2. The Shape Is In A Trance
3. Honest James
4. Silver Blue
5. FRI/END
6. American Coffin
7. Wonderful Witches+Language Meanies
8. Off Work
9. Never Day
10. Free Noise Among Friends
11. Trees Outside The Academy
12. Thurston is @13

Guests include Samara Lubelski, on violin, Steve Shelley, Gown on guitar, J. Mascis on guitar, Christina Carter lends her voice, John Maloney on drums, and Leslie Keffer with noise.

Thefirst song dives into a rhythmic rhyme reminiscent of The Velvet Underground with it's spooky intro. Don't let it fool you-the stage setting builds into a rock guitar structure. This song reminds me of good times with close friends who were in town to see Madonna as Rather Ripped debuted in the now gone Virgin Store in downtown Chicago. The second song is poetic and reminds me of open spaces and long drives. The lyrics are about music. Normally you have to watch out for songs about songs & music-but the guitar work alone proves to you that this is signature Thurston Moore and he put in his time has has acquired the skills to dwell in this "territory". The third song almost spirals out-but it returns over and over again before the meaningful lyrics hit. The fourth song contains lots of visuals with its vocal sounds as the instruments play along and soar 'n dive with nice embellished effects. The fifth song really gallops along and rocks-the build ups are all well placed in typical margin pushing rhythms and such. The melody is as catchy as the beginning and the ending is all spazz out.Song six is a mystery to me...I do like the ending repeating structure. Song seven is loaded from the get-go with attitude and its screeching hault is very effective. Song eight is all instrumentals reminds me of elctric train sparks and urban environments lit up at evening in skyscraper windows with all of their glory and drama. Song nine drums along with all of its direct poetry and fluttery vibe. Number ten will push limits on square ears! The chord changes alone of song eleven are proof of why this c.d. is named after it. All of the notes that should dance within you, at you, beside you, under you, around you and for you rise and fall in audio beauty. Number twelve is self explanatory.




Related Links:
Laurie's Planet of Sound
Excellent interview with Leslie Keffer
Sonic Youth Official Website
Sonic Youth Wikipedia
Trees Outside The Academy at Amazon

STAGG at Staggland