This Single of the Week, "Off the Wall" comes to you from the Sonic Youth creator Lee Ranaldo off of his upcoming album Between the Times and the Tides.
This is Ranaldo's first song based solo album, and it is set to be released on Mar. 20th. Long Island-born Ranaldo co-founded the Sonic Youth in 1981 and has had much experience in other collaborations since then.
But Between the Times and the Tides is his first step in music completely on his own.
"Off the Wall" is a chilled out masterpiece that begins quietly with Ranaldo's signature guitar sound. After all, he wasn't ranked 33rd best guitarist of all time by Rolling Stone for no reason.
This steady guitar continues throughout the entirety of "Off the Wall" and adds an air of constancy that is clearly reminiscent of Ranaldo's Sonic Youth years.
His vocals and lyrics are very Strokes-esque, brimming with 1990s rock influences. But "Off the Wall" has an undeniably more developed, modern sound than Ranaldo's music in the Sonic Youth. Where the Sonic Youth tends to delve deeper into the realm of experimental rock in some of their songs (think hit single "Superstar"), Ranaldo seems to avoid the experimental in "Off The Wall." With his extensive experience, he hardly needs electro sonic noises throughout the song to create a hit.
It's evident that Ranaldo is confident in his abilities, and he doesn't falter even once in his delivery of "Off the Wall". Between the Times and the Tides also features other greats like Nels Cline of Wilco and the avant-garde Alan Licht, as well as some Sonic Youth alums, adding to the maturity of songs like "Off the Wall"
So everyone check out "Off the Wall" and the other tracks off Between the Times and the Tides, in stores and online Mar. 20th. Sonic Youth fan or not, you won't want to miss Ranaldo's newest musical endeavor.
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