DAYDREAM NATION (DELUXE EDITION) - SONIC YOUTH
The canonization of “classic” indie rock albums continues with this double-disc edition of Sonic Youth’s 1988 bellwether “Daydream Nation.” Released just before hundreds of bands like, well, Sonic Youth, were snapped up by major labels in an attempt to commodify the sounds of the college rock underground, the original double album remains a vital crossbreed of avant-garde noise, experimental rock and hummable melodies. “Teen Age Riot” is the group’s definitive “we’re in step by being out of step” anthem, while epics like “The Sprawl” and “‘Cross the Breeze” proved profoundly influential for shoegazers, stoners and adventurous punk kids alike. The live versions on disc two are hit-and-miss (many get by on attitude alone), and of the four contemporaneous covers, only a dirtied-up take on Neil Young’s “Computer Age” impresses. In the past two decades, Sonic Youth has topped the best individual moments on “Daydream.” But as an album, it’s a singular feat — a perfectly timed snapshot of a moment when their kind of art was a step ahead of commerce.
