Thurston Moore - Demolished Thoughts

“Never judge a book by its cover”, indeed. But what about a record? Thurston Moore’s latest release ‘Demolished Thoughts’ is, in a way, an aural reflection of the album artwork; fresh, minimal and subtly haunting.

Moore’s decision to take a change of musical direction in the blend of acoustic-rock-folk music can at face value be flimsily analysed by pointing the finger at producer Beck and recent acoustic sensation, Kurt Vile as influences on his new sound. However ‘Demolished Thoughts’ offers a fresh take on the subgenre which signals a new chapter in the work of Thurston Moore.

Album opener ‘Benediction’ meanders along seamlessly like a lullaby, Moore’s repetition of the romantic lyric ‘I know better than to let her go’ in a husky vocal showcases a delicate serenity which succeeds in sounding honest and sincere. But fear not, the former Sonic Youth front man isn’t yet ready to entirely dispose of his punk roots.

‘Circulation’ would not appear out of place on a ‘Sonic Youth: Unplugged’ effort, the powerfully strummed guitar in amongst the calm of the former tracks on the record is a reminder that Moore still knows how to catch his listener off-guard. ‘Mina Loy’ has an eerie guitar riff which runs through the track like a thread through fabric, the string section and subtle percussion additions in the second half of the track build up to a haunting effect.

With an acoustic record there can often be a risk of becoming an easygoing, chilled out ‘background music’ affair, something that can be put on and spoken over. However despite this new direction from Moore, he retains that ability to surprise and confuse which is the crux of his appeal.

Sophie McGraw