Rob’s Album of The Week: Kim Gordon’s The Collective
Ever since the demise of the legendary New York City noise rock act Sonic Youth in 2011, each of the band’s members have gone off in different directions. For Kim Gordon, she has embarked on a stellar solo career while forging a new artistic identity. This has included genre-bending material that incorporates experimentation, eclectic arrangements and an intriguing approach that is both genuine and intense. Her sophomore album The Collective, which came out on March 8 via Matador Records, is her latest installment of this peculiar creative output. There’s an abundance of electronic elements that are pleasant with hints of hip hop, avant-garde and trip hop being weaved in at various instances.
There’s an assortment of beats serving as the sonic foundation for the album with a sense of catharsis being conveyed through the lyrics. It has a vibe of being up front and aggressive, but in a way where it’s shedding inhibitions instead of being uncomfortable and threatening. It has a borderline industrial quality as well with the structure being more boom bap oriented than exhibiting a hard edge. I really like the fluidity that’s being supplied by the synthy tones, and I enjoy how different it sounds from a lot of other records I’ve heard over the past few years. Gordon has put out something that’s refreshing and profound, and for that reason alone I think it’s worth a listen.
What impresses me the most about The Collective is how it’s somewhat of a departure from what fans have come to expect from Gordon as a musician. There aren’t any actual guitars present, even though there might be samples of riffs, and it sort of comes off as defiant in that sense. Perhaps that’s the underlying theme of this full-length release and why it’s so damn unapologetic. For an in-depth look, I’m going to do an honest segue into the next portion of this review column. With out further ado, here are my top tracks off of the Album of The Week:
There’s a funkiness within “I Don’t Miss My Mind” that I really dig. It’s a real look at mental illness and it’s contributing factors while a searing synth weaves in and out as the notes move along. “I’m A Man” exudes a unique charisma while confronting gender norms through noisy beats and distorted sounds. I have a sense that those guitar samples I mentioned earlier were included in “Tree House”. Gordon’s vocals seem a bit more distant than in the other songs, but that can simply be due to how there’s a lot going on from beginning to end.
Kim Gordon has a handful of tour dates coming up with her expedition starting at Higher Ground in Burlington on March 21. Other notable shows that are part of this run include March 23 at Knockdown Center in Queens, March the Regent Theater in Los Angeles, and March 30 at the Fillmore in San Francisco. I’m really interested to see how she puts forth this new album into a live performance and you should feel a similar way. Until Gordon graces the stage at your friendly neighborhood music venue, give The Collective a listen. It might be a bit of a departure, but it’s a fine example of an artist staying true to themselves.
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