But beyond the aesthetic, these are genuinely masterful songs, way ahead of their time. It’s as if the band recorded the tracks through the speaker on an old telephone, giving it a distinctively tinny patina. There’s something mythic about the way this album sounds. Midnight Cleaners – The Cleaners From Venus The whole album sounds like a dark, stormy October day crisp air ushering in the next season with all of its endings and beginnings. Paul Buchanan’s voice emanates melancholy and gels effortlessly with the band’s atmospheric instrumentals. Yet a deeper listen to the full album reveals obsessively-crafted, delicate pop songs that make you wonder why this band didn’t make it big. Best enjoyed in the sunshine with a tropical mixed drink.Ī Walk Across the Rooftops - The Blue Nileįor the longest time, I had only listened to this album’s major hit.

But they also hold onto their rock roots, resulting in a satisfying blend of electronics and guitars. The album was apparently heavily inspired by the Balearic club scene of Ibiza in the late 80’s: the synths are extremely funky. It’s hard to not feel hopeful and alive listening to the saccharine sounds of From Langley Park to Memphis.Īrguably New Order at their most dance-y. The soft pop of Prefab Sprout is imbued with earnest romanticism, idiosyncratic musical textures and lyrics packed with musical references of the era. These tracks create bizarre worlds with some of the band’s most avant-garde experiments, but with enough pop sensibility to make them certifiably jam-able.įrom Langley Park to Memphis – Prefab Sprout

My favorite is Shadow of a Doubt: Kim Gordon’s whispered lyrics expertly mix unsettling with alluring, and I always find it pairs well with dreary Seattle days. While not as well-known as Daydream Nation (1989) or Goo (1990), Evol contains some of Sonic Youth’s greatest tracks. I genuinely tear up listening to their music. There are some pieces of music that seem to capture the essence of life itself, connecting with something raw and primal, and this is one of them. Their second album, The Colour of Spring, in particular has an ineffable emotional quality. They were masters of breaking new ground, and due to their variety feel like they’ll have staying power in my life for years to come.

I read somewhere once that it sounded like each of their 5 albums were created by 5 different bands, and I couldn’t agree more. It was difficult to choose this record over the others that Talk Talk put out in the 1980s.

Shadow of a doubt lyrics sonic youth