Murray Street

As fans of the band know, a new offering from these Lollapaloozers can run the gamut from challenging to downright unlistenable. So it’s a pleasant surprise to find their latest brimming with songs possessing—gasp!—actual verses and choruses. A minimum of alt-style guitar experimentation allows this laid-back rock to wash over you like a summer breeze—even on the tracks without lyrics. Listen past the fuzzy dissonance (this is a Sonic Youth record, after all) and you’ll find an album that’s often cool, occasionally even transcendent.