Sonic Youth- Sister (1987)

 I was in the mood for some Sonic Youth, so Sister it is. This, oddly enough, is arguably one of their more well-known and liked long players, yet it doesn't boast many, possibly any, well-known singles. It is, of course, excellent.

Perhaps it's the fact that I listened to this album not long after hearing Marquee Moon again, but Sonic Youth are very New York, aren't they? We think of them as '80s-90s American indie rock or alternative and badge them alongside the Butthole Surfers, R.E.M, the Replacements. Yet their sound owes an awful lot to Television, doesn't it? You could even look forward and say that the sound, if not so strongly the songwriting, of the Strokes has that same ineffably New York sound too.

Yet Sonic Youth are more than just that. They are a seminal part of that New York tradition while also feeding into so many other traditions. There's so much going on with Sonic Youth. They have perfect pop sensibilities, yet every album is a soundscape. Hence the fact that I never pay much attention to the lyrics. I'm aware this album is largely about both Philip K. Dick and Thiurston Moore's dead twin sister, but these things don't really register while listening.

Regardless, this is Sonic Youth at their peak and a superb album.