Hot on the heels of
Goodbye 20th Century,
Sonic Youth's tribute to avant-garde masters like
Pauline Oliveros and
John Cage, came
NYC Ghosts & Flowers, an attempt to commemorate the dangerous, bohemian New York of old in a similar way. Though it sports an
Allen Ginsberg-inspired title and artwork by William Burroughs, the album lacks the visceral, immediate impact of the best beat poetry and seems driven by self-consciousness instead of stream-of-consciousness. Its most uncomfortable moments spring from its beat generation inspirations, such as
Thurston Moore's awkward monologue "Small Flowers Crack Concrete." Even worse, "Lightnin"'s dissonant, stabbing guitars and
Kim Gordon's woozy vocals almost ruin the impact of
Lee Ranaldo's epic title track, which is the closest
NYC Ghosts & Flowers comes to blending the album's deadpan vocals and sonic maelstroms successfully.
Sonic Youth still seems to be atoning for their more accessible, early '90s sound, particularly on "StreamXSonik Subway," a rant about NYC's increasing authoritarianism. However,
NYC Ghosts & Flowers isn't dismissible. "Free City Rhymes" is another of their dreamy yet prickly guitarscapes; "Renegade Princess" recalls the group's early art-punk; and
Kim Gordon's "Side2Side" and "Nevermind (What Was It Anyway)" are sullenly sensual (though the latter song features the lyrical nadir "Boys go to Jupiter/Get more stupider"). Considering that this was recorded shortly after all of
Sonic Youth's irreplaceable, custom-tweaked guitars were stolen, it's frustrating that they tried to re-create their old sound with new gear instead of exploring new ideas.
NYC Ghosts & Flowers will chase away any remaining fair-weather fans hoping for another "Sugar Kane" or "Kool Thing," but it doesn't offer much for diehards, who may prefer the undiluted experiments of the group's SYR EPs. Ultimately, the album is equally uncompromising and frustrating. ~ Heather Phares