Lee Ranaldo has, 'til now, never made a solo rock record; his exploits away from indie legends Sonic Youth so far tending towards the experimental, exploratory, and expendable. Well, y'know, 'til now. Between The Times and The Tides comes out on Matador on March 20, and it finds Ranaldo singing and strumming something resembling the rock and/or roll.Though its unmistakably Ranaldo, there's far more of a lightness to "Off the Wall" than anything he ever penned in Sonic Youth; the abrasive three-guitar klang pulled back to a gentle, chiming, warmly-recorded strum that gently hedges towards classic pop.
"Off the Wall" is a love-song written from on stage, from on tour; both a tribute to the public displays of live performance ("watch me as I fall/then scrape me off the wall") and a lament for the touring life. It's plenty romantic and delightfully not-cryptic; Ranaldo apparently finding liberation in making rock music away from the rockband. Lee, it seems, is free.
Lee Ranaldo, "Off the Wall"
No comments:
Post a Comment