Merrick Deneen
Staff Reporter
Sonic Youth is a band that has rode the line between mainstream rock and the avant-garde since their founding in 1981. Their music defined the noise rock movement while also staying close to their punk roots in New York City. The album Daydream Nation gives a taste from their expansive catalog and is acclaimed as one of the best albums in the genres of punk, art rock, and music as a whole.
Daydream Nation starts opens with the single, “Teenage Riot”. This song begins with a riff played by Moore in his usual strange tuning but they cut back on the overdrive instead used a simple chorus pedal. With this you can hear Kim Gordon repeating, “spirit desire” and, “we will fall”. After this the song goes quiet and the overdrive kicks in with the two guitarists beginning their back and forth playing, switching between lead and rhythm. Their alternate tunings allow them to build a thicker structure to their riffs and the progression is far from ordinary. The lyrics to this song are about another reality in which the lead guitarists for Husker Du, J. Mascis, is running for president. This album was released during election time in 1988 and the song expresses the belief that as teenagers we are expected to accept whatever leader is appointed to us. Whether that’s parents, a teacher, or the president the road is laid out for us to follow, but the truth is that a culture will choose its own leader.With this song Sonic Youth was able capture the feeling of a country full of confused teenagers.
The album then moves onto the song, “Silver Rocket” which gives a great example of Moores ability to fuse classic punk rock with guitar insanity. It begins with a fairly basic progression with fast lyrics then quickly spins into oblivion with loud shrieks and unearthly noises coming out of Thurston’s Jazzmaster before returning into the chorus. From here a more atmospheric approach is taken with Kim Gordon singing lead vocals for, “The Sprawl”. This song is inspired by works of science fiction from writer William Gibson. In these he writes about a giant mega city that stretches across the U.S.. “Cross the Breeze” features Gordons more intense singing as well. “Erics Trip” recounts an LSD driven monologue in a homage to Andy Warhol’s film Chelsea Girls.
Another single that stands from this album is,”Total Trash”. Thurston Moore plays a catchy rhythm that slowly spirals out of control until we get a fragments of what the song used to be while being filled with feedback and ethereal noises. “Providence” consists of Lee Renaldo playing piano at his grandmothers with the sound of a guitar amplifier heating up and blowing out. It was also includes phone voicemails left for Thurston by a fellow musician that played for fellow noise rock groups as well as The Stooges. Kim Gordon shines again in, “kissability” where she recalls phrases she heard in the Hollywood film industry. Sonic youth pay homage to 70’s rock bloat that punk bands often looked down upon by calling the last three songs a trilogy. They are a final push filled with energy and a classic punk feel. Not only did Daydream Nation subvert expectations for music as a whole, they surprised their fans by releasing a refined album that strayed from the usual walls of insane sound that they had grown used to.
This album stands the test of time by connecting with people 30 years later and it set the groundwork for other bands to follow such as My Bloody Valentine and Nirvana.
Image Credit: Jim Steinfeldt
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