Album Review: Kim Gordon - 'No Home Record'
Hark back to New York in 1981. Bands like Talking Heads, The Velvet Underground and Blondie were enjoying the success of being birthed out the new wave/punk scene and becoming pioneers of their own unique strain of music. Following in their footsteps were Sonic Youth who quickly turned into icons in their own right.
Kim Gordon is best known for being an integral part of Sonic Youth. Her knack for twisting vocals from breathy wisps of air to strained spoken word is something that truly elevated the Sonic Youth’s experimental, avant-garde and rumbling take on punk. 38 years later, Kim has released her debut solo album. It is everything you could’ve wanted and more.
No Home Record is a poignant assault on the senses, with Kim’s distinct intonation and monstrous bass rumblings sitting at the heart of the nine songs. When the big bass static scratchings of ‘Sketch Artist’ unravel into a dreamy string-filled reverie, it is as though Kim’s eclecticism picks up exactly where it left off all those years ago – ‘Don’t Play It’ affirming her unconventional lyricism: “golden vanity / you can pee in the ocean / it’s free.” For an artist who has been in the industry for such a long time, it is amazing to witness the fluidity in maintaining a relevancy with the popular styles of today. ‘Paprika Pony’ is a spoken word synth-trap song that, when listened to with no context, could make you think that Kim was a brand-new artist releasing her debut, not a punk veteran.
‘Cookie Butter’ may be a simple dizzying viper on first listen. What starts out as all mantralike becomes amorphous – transformative distortion and vacillating guitars ooze out of your electrical devices, and make you stop in your tracks just so you can truly grasp the innovation placed in front of you. Lyrically it feels as though this is Kim’s affirmation on the demise of her marriage to Thurston Moore, and whilst it could be easy to say that ‘Get Yr Life Back’ is the daily rumination for Kim dealing with such upheaval, it could also be taken as an ironic statement on the state of existence. Whilst it has taken a monumental amount of time for Kim to release a solo record, it has most definitely been worth the wait.
Words by Tyler Damara Kelly