This is the new band led by Sonic Youth's Thurston Moore following the uncertain future surrounding his old group after a break-up with wife and band mate Kim Gordon. It's more than just one of his arty side projects, and far more heavy than his mostly docile solo albums. In fact, it's quite often shredding heavy metal rather than the customary mangled noise and squally dissonance he whips up in Sonic Youth. The guitar chugs he launches into on Sleeping Where I Fall and the almost eight minute-long Alighted are gratuitous grooves, and like a cross between Silver Rocket from Sonic Youth's Daydream Nation and raw Bleach-era Nirvana. And though there are meandering melodic bits, and lo-fi rumblings, it's the beautifully abrasive change in dynamic on songs like Empires of Time (which moves from brawling distortion to gentle strumming) and the quick blast of punk vs creepy staccato on Lip that makes Chelsea Light Moving the most devastating music he's come up with in years.
Stars: 4/5
- TimeOut
