Body Burning Like A Blast Furnace

Lee Ranaldo & Raül Refree “Names of North End Women”

Lee Ranaldo’s new collaborative album with Raül Refree moves about as far away as any former member of Sonic Youth has away from the aesthetics of Sonic Youth. So far, indeed, that guitars are not even part of the palette: “Names of North End Women” is all vocal and polyrhythmic percussion. Ranaldo’s voice is in excellent form here, leaning on his usual rhythmic poetry but allowing for more purely melodic and soulful moments along the way. The percussion is busy but there’s a lot of silence on the track and that negative space feels distinctly cold, like crisp winter air at a high elevation. This makes the movement of the track feel necessary, like it’s doing what must be done to get along and survive.

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