Psychic Hearts

It was inevitable that Thurston Moore’s first solo offering would sound a bit like Sonic Youth, considering how integral his guitar playing and singing are to the band’s sound. What is surprising about Psychic Hearts is how Moore twists his standard lexicon of detatched vocals, dissonant guitar lines, and deliberately obscure musical/lyrical references into something resembling pop music, which is something Sonic Youth has rarely been able to achieve. Fourteen of the album’s 15 tracks are built around concise, angular guitar hooks complemented by Moore’s unashamed, nearly melodic vocals. “Elegy for All the Dead Rock Stars” is a 20-minute instrumental, which is measured and evenly paced, surging toward a gentle conclusion. Psychic Hearts displays a softer, more reflective side of a musician known for his passion for disguising his emotions and ideas in noise. – Stephen Thomas Erlewine