click to enlarge - Courtesy
- Kim Gordon, The Collective
(Matador, cassette, CD, digital, vinyl)
Long considered one of indie rock's defining figures, Kim Gordon continues defying convention and further solidifies her legacy with her second solo recording, The Collective.
A darkened, chaotic batch of compositions, the album is a jarring critique of a world Gordon views as confusedly addicted to consumption and skewed by dysfunctional masculinity. Its 11 songs are disjointed but together intensify and further the evolution of sounds that can be traced to her earliest leading efforts as a founding vocalist, bassist and guitarist for Sonic Youth, the renowned experimental post-punk band with a lasting influence on modern rock music.
The Collective's obscure album cover depicts the out-of-focus shadow of hands holding a smartphone in pink light, evoking the contemporary disconnection so many look to cure with screen time. The recording lets loose, leveraging mechanical friction, start-and-stop oscillation, and daunting percussion to mount an artful attack on male toxicity, American pack mentality, and the endless pursuit of fame and wealth.
Teaming up again with Justin Raisen, who produced her 2019 solo premiere, No Home Record, Gordon wields remarkable vision as she continues exploring rarely charted sonic terrain in a project that blends the industrial, hip-hop and dub genres.
On the opener, "BYE BYE," Gordon maintains her well-known dismal tone. With lyrics aimed to provoke, tracks such as "Trophies," "It's Dark Inside" and "Shelf Warmer" make for a bold endeavor even in these strange times.
Gordon has accomplished more in her career than most musicians could imagine and endured the unthinkable along the way. Her experience informs the new record and colors its potent cynicism. In 2011, Gordon and fellow Sonic Youth member Thurston Moore announced their separation after 27 years of marriage. During the divorce, Gordon later shared, she was diagnosed with and successfully treated for breast cancer.
In the grinding automation of "I'm a Man," she assumes the perspective of a fool admitting his own faults, fumbling with excuses across a defensive, feeble monologue before settling for mediocrity: "It's not my fault. I'm a man ... It's good enough for Nancy."
The Collective's tracks are decidedly incongruous, but Gordon demonstrates expertise in crafting the unexpected groove out of the frightful funk of "I Don't Miss My Mind" and the clang of "The Believers." On the expansive "Psychedelic Orgasm," the accomplished noise trailblazer reminds listeners that she has no bounds.
The record closes with "Dream Dollar," a pulsation featuring Gordon at her most sarcastic as she eschews a presumed path to success that runs counter to her punk roots. "Cement the brand / Get in the room," sneers the native of Rochester, N.Y., who grew up in and recently returned to Los Angeles.
A multifaceted visual artist who draws, paints, writes and composes for stage performance, Gordon doesn't consider herself a musician in the traditional sense. Still, she's an icon to grunge bands and the underground feminist punk scene — a hero to creative people far and wide. At 70, she serves up what may be her most compelling, albeit most ominous, work to date.
Gordon performs on Thursday, March 21, at the Higher Ground Ballroom in South Burlington. The Collective is available on all streaming platforms and can be purchased on Gordon's website, kimaltheagordon.com.