Everything We See Is Clear

Sonic Youth “Walkin’ Blue”

On a superficial level, “Walkin’ Blue” resembles “Karenology” from Murray Street, but the intensity isn’t really there. Whereas that song had a similarly springy strum and build to release, it also had a bittersweet tone that flipped its moment of catharsis into a moment of powerless confusion and heartbreak. “Walkin’ Blue” is more simple, and not just because it lacks an extended noise coda. For Sonic Youth, this is very post-U2 arena rock — ringing chords, huge sentiment, big chorus. It’s almost deliberately “normal,” but the SY-ness comes across in the color and the texture. The mood of the piece tiptoes back and forth between listlessness and peace, little sighs and big sighs, but the center is Lee Ranaldo’s gentleness and empathy, which is entirely unambiguous. He’s not saying too much, but what comes across is important: I’m here for you, let’s try to make things better, but let’s not get our expectations too high.

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