Sonic Youth have enough songs that earned them their due shine by virtue of reaching mainstream consciousness, but those same hits have also eclipsed the full extent of their brilliance.<\/p>\n
From just listening to their music, it\u2019s almost impossible to guess that the group were in fact signed to a major label for the majority of their career. Still, they never submitted to being employees of the music industry. Even as they remained firm in their intentionally haphazard pursuit, only a small fraction of the tunes they were churning out were placed in the spotlight. This, of course, wasn\u2019t a reflection of their best work. While \u2018Kool Thing\u2019, \u2018Bull in the Heather\u2019 and \u2018100%\u2019 are unmistakably Sonic Youth, they also only scratch the surface of the ravishing mess that was out of MTV\u2019s line of sight. Like any talented band, their greatest hits also limited the public\u2019s understanding of who they truly were from head to toe.<\/p>\n
A lot of their songs got obscured by the voluminous catalogue that holds them, and the band\u2019s 2009 album \u2018Sonic Nurse\u2019 has a similar place in their timeline. The misty aesthetic of the uncertified classic is neutralised by its delicate pulse, which is most evident on cuts like \u2018Dripping Dream\u2019, \u2018Dude Ranch Nurse\u2019 and \u2018New Hampshire\u2019. However, one track in particular captures the essence of the entire project better than the rest.<\/p>\n
While Kim Gordon is arguably one of the most important figures in music history, \u2018I Love You Golden Blue\u2019 makes this damn-near impossible to object to. Without question, one of her most intimate pieces, this one has an emotional depth unlike anything else the New York outfit ever put out. I personally have spent far too much time trying to find the same feelings this song brought out of me in other recordings by Sonic Youth, and at no point have I come even close.<\/p>\n
Rainy days aren\u2019t too common for me since I live in Los Angeles, which also makes it that much easier to romanticise ephemeral gloom. Every time the sky turns grey, I play \u2018I Love You Golden Blue\u2019 a minimum of ten times in a row. Late-career compositions rarely get the credit they deserve, so this one has become the open secret that brings me the most comfort. It\u2019s something I listen to on full volume while driving around aimlessly through the rare absence of colours in Southern California.<\/p>\n
The strange thing about this cut is that it\u2019s just as haunting as it is reassuring. Despite its murky exterior, it is also my safe space \u2014 one within which I\u2019m able to find some peace of mind. Sad though it may be, there\u2019s something quite therapeutic and relatable about Gordon\u2019s exhaustion as she sings the lines, \u201cI can\u2019t read your mind \/ I can\u2019t find the time \/ I can\u2019t feel the thrill \/ I don\u2019t have the will.\u201d<\/p>\n
What\u2019s more, she isn\u2019t even really a singer, yet her whispered vocals carry more strength than any trained singer I can think of. Perhaps it\u2019s that raw, \u201cunprocessed\u201d authenticity of her voice that has me entirely convinced it\u2019s all directly from the heart. While the helplessness imbued in the song clearly doesn\u2019t inspire even a tiny shred of hope, it has the power to help those going through something similar feel less alone.<\/p>\n
\u2018Sonic Nurse\u2019 is an essential part of Sonic Youth\u2019s chronology, and \u2018I Love You Golden Blue\u2019 is its crown jewel. Recorded toward the end of their 30-year stint, the song perfectly encapsulates the tender and intricate side of a group that was typically characterised by noise and chaos.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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