It would be all too easy to compare Lee Ranaldo’s solo offering with the immense body of work he’s created with Sonic Youth over the last 30 years. They are, after all, one of the most enduringly influential alternative bands of, er, the last 30 years, and not without reason. So if you’re expecting an album parameter-expanding guitar-driven post-grunge, the chances are you’re going to be sorely disappointed. Far better, then, to judge ‘Between the Times and the Tides’ on its own merits, because ultimately, it’s a strong piece of work that stands up well.
Opener ‘Waiting on a Dream’ is an urgent rush of psychedelic hued alt-rock, while ‘Off the Wall’ is light, summery pop, an almost REM vibe to the harmony-enlivened verses. ‘Xtina as I Knew Her’ marks a shift in tone and tempo, a long, snaking downbeat story song that boasts a bittersweet chorus, and in many ways encapsulates the tone of the album, in that it balances a gravity with a delicately poppy lightness of touch. Elsewhere, ‘Shouts’ is reflective and wistful, while ‘Tomorrow Never Comes’ sounds like a response of sorts to ‘Tomorrow Never Knows’.
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It’s an album that could reasonably be described as ‘mature’ – as is perhaps befitting of a man who’s been recording for as long as Ranaldo has – yet it’s anything but dull, and sounds fresh, alive. It’s also a remarkably straightforward album, and while it certainly doesn’t push any parameters, it does unquestionably reveal a focus on songwriting, and there’s nothing wrong with that.
Lee Ranaldo Online
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