Eric R. Danton on Sonic Youth

"Sonic Youth … chose New York indie Matador to release its 16th album, 'The Eternal.' As it happens, it's Sonic Youth's most compelling album in years. The band has always had a penchant for musical experimentation that sometimes veers into outright noise, but 'The Eternal' follows the path of its best work by balancing the musicians' avant-garde tendencies with accessibility on songs that are taut, inventive and sometimes downright exhilarating. … Lee Ranaldo's guitar crackles with restless energy as it gallops across opening song 'Sacred Trickster,' and he and guitarist Thurston Moore undermine the mellow chiming notes that open 'Antenna' with controlled bursts of noise. The noise grows into sonic squalls on 'What We Know,' threatening at times to overwhelm the brawny riff that drives the song and creating a thrilling tension. Moore, a Bethel native who now lives in Northampton, Mass., sings most of the songs, switching off at times with wife and band mate Kim Gordon and Ranaldo. …There's no guessing what might happen next, which makes 'The Eternal' a record, full of twists and turns and dissonant digressions. It's rock 'n' roll the way it's meant to be" ("CD Review," 6/8/09).