Chelsea Light Moving

(Matador)

Here be the debut by Thurston Moore's umpteenth side project, if that's the right term now that Sonic Youth are on indefinite hiatus. Despite being named after the 1970s' New York removal firm of Philip Glass and Steve Reich, CLM is only moderately experimental by Moore standards. Sure, the songs shift many gears and disappear beneath demented guitar distortion while Moore drawls and whoops over the top, but this mainly feels like the usual diversion from his uncanny instinct for a heartstopping melody. What leaps from the headphones is the delirious freshness on offer. Wherever Moore's head is at since breaking up with Kim Gordon, he doesn't seem to be mewling much misery into the microphone (unlike his 2011 solo record, perhaps). The overriding vibe is garage jam punk, as confirmed by closing Germs cover Communist Eyes. Other highlights include Burroughs, a screeching drag race of a number, and the dynamic on-off assault groove that is Sleeping Where I Fall. Too many tracks go on too long, maybe, but otherwise this is on the money.

Steven Vass