Thurston Moore - Demolished Thoughts (Matador)

With every solo album Thurston Moore does, his style veers further away from that of his mighty Sonic Youth. I’m not talking about the noise records, mainly just the 1995 classic (and very Sonic Youth-y) Psychic Hearts and 2007’s great departure, Trees Outside The Academy. With Demolished Thoughts, Moore fully forsakes the electric guitar in favor of acoustic (even a 12-string on the lovely “Blood Never Lies,”) and a heavy dose of violin. This is an adult album (for lack of a better word), something that the ageless Moore had never quite accomplished. Channeling his inner Neil Young mixed with his unique guitar sensibilities makes him one unorthodox but most intriguing troubadour, especially on “Mina Loy,” the track where his trademark tunings and riffing are on most full display. Beck Hansen is behind the boards and provides the record its texture, giving it an almost orchestral quality (“Circulation,”). Even with all of the different activity, no sounds come away muddled, each part comes through clear in a way that each piece is highlighted. Like all of Thurston Moore’s efforts, Demolished Thoughts is not easily nor instantly accessible. The first listen may be a struggle to shake off the initial difference in what you were expecting but by the second time around, you just hear a mature songwriter taking chances and having it pay off.