Evoke Something Fugitive

Thurston Moore “Calligraphy”

Sonic Youth is one of the most important bands in my personal history but I’ve found it hard to get enthusiastic about Thurston Moore’s post-SY material. This isn’t to say I think it’s been bad but more that when I hear him on his own now it all feels too familiar, like I just know how he plays too well and I’m not surprised by anything he does from one chord to the next. This was a creeping problem in the later Sonic Youth records, but in that situation Lee Ranaldo, Kim Gordon, and Steve Shelley were bringing their own ideas and impulses to it so no song ever rested entirely on his guitar or his voice. A lot of Moore’s songs now feel less like songwriting and more like a meditative practice, and this is simply him engaging with his instrument in a way that feels most natural and unforced. I get it, but a lot of it doesn’t quite beg to be heard.

“Calligraphy” is an outlier in that Moore’s guitar style is noticeably different in its textures and tones, even if the chord changes and lead parts are very obviously him. It feels more rough and rustic; something about the particular tone of the acoustic guitar reminds me of the smell of burning wood. You can hear peace in his voice but a bit of restlessness in his guitar, like he’s waiting for his body to catch up with his mind.

Buy it from Bandcamp.