Suicide Notes for Acoustic Guitar

Sonic Youth co-founder Thurston Moore remained busy as always in 2010 and 2011 with both collaborations and solo releases. While the rock-noise veteran focused on elegant acoustic guitar playing on both his dream folk Demolished Thoughts (for Matador) and the equally dreamy instrumental 12-String Meditations for Jack Rose (for VDSQ), on Suicide Notes for Acoustic Guitar the 52-year-old Moore used the instrument to bridge his acoustic explorations with the free improv he also continued to spend much of his time playing. Three shorter pieces accompany the 14-minute "Soul," each pushing the acoustic into distortion, often accompanied by a heavy attack. But while distorted, Moore rarely lets loose into out-and-out feedback, instead working subtly — if such a thing is possible with a rudely distorted acoustic guitar — to find melodies inside apparent chaos. Originally issued as a CD-R, the 25-minute disc might not receive as much play in most households as his other acoustic-oriented projects, but Moore's one-man blend of freedom and form is (again if such a thing is possible) a quiet achievement that further cements his status as an able improviser.