At first listen “Demolished Thoughts” sounds like a lost Warren Zevon album that somehow found its way into Ennio Morricone’s hands. But upon further inspection the intricacies become much more apparent. Subtle guitar licks, violin, and an inconspicuous harp create a somber yet beautiful sound-scape throughout most of this record. Moore has steered from his noise rock/pop roots before, but the violin allows for much more depth and emotion. Beck Hansen’s influence is lightly marked, but can be heard in some of the western influenced arrangements and clean production style. However, it never becomes lost on you that this indeed is a Thurston Moore record. Some of his chord choices, guitar style, and subdued vocals in “Orchard Street” could be lifted straight from the low-key Sonic Youth playbook. But this only remains a small part of the song; as the rest continues you forget you’re listening to Moore and start to wonder when the movie credits are going to begin. This brings me to a rather defining point of the record: The violin is the real star. Although Moore conjures some beautiful vocal melodies, violinist Samara Lubelski remains upfront, reminding you it isn’t all about Thurston. I liked this album very much, and I recommend you go out and buy it on May 24th, have a glass of wine, stare out your window and think about the good times.
By Randy Nieto; May 19, 2011
Demolished Thoughts is available on VINYL from Matador Records HERE
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