Review: The Eternal Sonic Youth’s Free Mp3 “Sacred Trickster”

We hate to admit it, but we generally like the idea of Sonic Youth more than we actually like the band’s music. (Thurston Moore’s snore of a gig opening for the beyond-legendary Roky Erickson last Spring didn’t help win us over, but we can’t blame the whole band for that.)

But, we’re trying to be open-minded.

NYC’s Sonic Youth has been making albums since 1981, and while the band has had its ups and downs, going from indie (SST) to major (Geffen) back to indie (Matador), the band still isn’t slowing down.

Sonic Youth’s 16th album, The Eternal, hits stores in June, and the band is offering up a sneak preview in the form of a free mp3. It marks their first release since leaving Geffen records.

Sonic Youth–”Sacred Trickster” mp3

If you only know the band’s hits like “Kool Thing” (Chuck D-approved video above) or “100%” (the un-YouTube-able video features My Name is Earl’s Jason Lee back when he was a young skater), this is a good time to check in and see what they’re up to. And, if you’re already a fan of the group’s vast catalog of noisy, experimental rock sounds, it’s still cool to get a free preview.

The opening track of The Eternal, our first impression of “Sacred Trickster” is that the song is surprisingly upbeat, catchy, straightforward and short, especially considering the band’s sometimes abrasive, meandering style.

Kim Gordon is handling vocal duties with her usual pleading, out-of-breath style and she’s still offering up girl-power-tinged sentiments like, “What’s it like to be a girl in a band? I don’t quite understand. That’s so quaint to hear.”

The verdict? We like “Sacred Trickster” enough to hit repeat and hear it again, so we might  be willing to rethink our lukewarm feelings toward Sonic Youth, or at least give The Eternal a spin when it comes out.

We like free stuff, so here’s a tip for SY fans, courtesy of Pop Vox: “Starting April 28, fans who pre-order The Eternal through Matador Records will get an additional live LP of the band’s July 4 NYC show, while supplies last.”