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THE REVIEW
“Evol” was released in 1986, between “Bad Moon Rising” and “Sister”, and, unlike its predecessor, features less hostile and more catchy melodic lines (within the limits that this word can assume with Sonic Youth). Clearly, the nihilistic noise outbursts are still present in the song structures (“In The Kingdom #19”, “Death To Our Friends”, where the two guitarists indulge in hallucinatory dissonances), but now the quartet's music is heavily influenced by that psychedelic vein that had already entered “Bad Moon”.
This results in songs that from my point of view seem like psychotic ballads born from a sick mind, in which noise still plays an essential role but is placed in a more defined structure compared to the past (without exaggeration, of course): the splendid “Shadow Of A Doubt”, where Kim Gordon's voice, more enchanting than ever, stands out over a delicate harmonic carpet before it erupts into a desperate scream ("I swear I didn’t mean iiiiiiiiit"); “Star Power”, which immediately sticks in the head with its strange childish melody; “Tom Violence” and the skewed “Green Light”, sung this time by Thurston, dreams of a lunatic. Not to mention the anguish of “Marilyn Moore”. The album closes with “Madonna, Sean And Me”, better known as “Expressway To Yr Skull”, which well summarizes everything we've heard in the previous forty-five minutes: melody mixed with hypnotic guitars (by the way, Lee and Thurston come up with new unexpected tunings for each song), moments of absolute calm and sonic hysterical crises, with a long finale of just reverb and various echoes. There's also a bonus track, “Bubblegum”, a dirty and wild rock ‘n’ roll.
In conclusion, the CD, although it suffers from some production issues given the mediocrity of the instrumentation, is a long psychedelic journey into territories unknown at the time, and despite the years it now carries, it is still very relevant. Here are some of the best songs ever from Sonic, and to understand the evolutionary path that led them to “Daydream Nation” it is a mandatory step.
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Summary by Bot
Sonic Youth's 1986 album Evol sits between Bad Moon Rising and Sister, showcasing a more melodic yet still hallucinatory noise rock style. The record blends psychedelic influences with structured chaos, highlighted by memorable songs like Shadow of a Doubt and Star Power. Despite some production flaws, Evol remains relevant and a crucial step leading to their breakthrough Daydream Nation.
Sonic Youth
American experimental rock band formed in New York City in 1981. Core members across their most influential period included Thurston Moore, Kim Gordon, Lee Ranaldo and Steve Shelley; Jim O'Rourke later collaborated and is mentioned as an official member in reviews.66 Reviews
Other reviews
By awhitenoise
The processional litany of "Tom Violence" marches on, a nihilistic anthem.. sweet surprise of body, nudity, corruption, sensitivity.
Everything dissolves into nothingness, the alchemy of sound melds with the walls of life.
By Takanibu
A distorted guitar and deafening percussion constitute the beginning of the ritual. I already know it’s going to be something extremely violent, yet a sensual female voice wraps me in a dark vortex.
In a matter of moments, I start to like this situation, in fact, I love it. It makes me feel perverse, dirty. But it’s one of those feelings you guard jealously, that you’re ashamed of, those feelings you want to hide from even yourself, uselessly.
