SONIC YOUTH RATHER RIPPED For almost three decades, no one has exuded so much cool and produced so few melodies as Sonic Youth. It's not that these New Yorkers are incapable--they're just obstreperous, which makes the arrival of their first great rock album such a shock. They haven't rid themselves of their beloved guitar fuzz, but on songs like Reena and the sublime Jams Runs Free, the noise takes a backseat to focused songcraft and real, live hummable riffs. To top it off, Kim Gordon has emerged from her decade-long Nico-soundalike contest and is enunciating again. Calling it a career best would...
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