Sonic Youth - Jams Run Free

When I first heard tracks from the new Sonic Youth album, I didn't know what I was listening to and for awhile, I actually thought I was listening to a hip young band fresh off the blog circuit. It must not have been "Jams Run Free" that I had heard, though, because Kim Gordon's vocal is pretty unmistakable here. Although I'm not sure if she has ever sounded more musical on record.

However, the real magic happens at the end of the intro and as the second half of each chorus. It's the simplest guitar figure imaginable, just 1-2-3 notes down and 3-2-1 back up. But it wraps Gordon's spare vocal with the hopeful sorrow that comes courtesy of ascending melody paired with descending melody. And the whole thing is complete when a higher version of the same figure bursts out of the noisy solo for a triumphant coda. Sonic Youth has been crafting essential records since before I was born, but just now we're finding that even when they strip away the aggression and the noise and the high concepts, we are still left with a beautiful beating heart.