“inherit” by free kitten, released on ecstatic peace

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to those of you who thought kim gordon (sonic youth) was dead, you’ve got another thing coming. on may 20, 2008 after over a decade of not releasing anything, her band free kitten is back in business with their newest studio release “inherit”. the band consisting of gordon, julie cafritz (pussy galore), and yoshimi p-we surfaced in the early 1990s with a few releases, and a spot on the lollapolooza tour, but since the mid-90s, we have heard nothing from the group, as the members put the band on hiatus to persue other ventures.

… i suck with sounding formal.

let’s get down to the nitty-gritty of it all. i just took a listen to the album and it sounds like the frumpies and new sonic youth birthed a child; i mean that in a good way. the album is a departure from the band’s previous works which in my opinion sounded like a punked-up version of sesame street songs (don’t throw me up on the cross for that comment, hell, i like the old free kitten stuff). with that in mind, this album marks a shift in the band’s songwriting ability; straying from the really simple, short songs that they had released in the past to this new, richer sound. the vocals in the songs range from a lullaby (ala frumpies), to random shouting, along with gordon’s off-kilter vocal style that she’s rolled with since her days in sonic youth.

the music is comprised more-so of richer guitar sounds, playing more with distortion and deeper chords, it gives the music a more relaxed feeling to it which makes it perfect for listening to while driving… i’m just putting that out there. it’s one of those albums that you can just turn on and putter around to; you know, it just blends really well and it makes for great background music… on the other hand, at times the songs are worthy of cranking and air-guitaring to.

whether you think kim gordon is a pseudo-artsy hack, or a genius, you’ve got to admit that this new album is pretty damn good (if you’re into that art-rock kind of music).

now if you don’t mind, i’m going to go break out some old sonic youth cds and get absorbed in the 90s.

rating: 3.5 old baggy plaid shirts out of a possible 5