In the second stage of an already legendary career, former Sonic Youth bassist Kim Gordon is still taking chances through a flourishing solo career that contemporaries and new acts alike can’t compare with. Her second album, The Collective, comes via Matador Records and precedes her extensive upcoming tour that will take her to The Regent Theater in LA on March 27.
Alongside seasoned producer Justin Raisen, who previously collaborated with Gordon on her 2019 debut No Home Record, the two returned with lead single and opener “BYE BYE” in January. Gordon, with ease, digs deep into an unexpected trap beat like she’s been making this sort of music for the past few decades.
The switch from brooding noise rock to assertive industrial-trap ragers rebranded Gordon as a force of nature who refuses to fade into obscurity if there’s room for innovation. While no stranger to darker fare, Gordon stands her own against modern and often experimental instrumentals that remind how innovative of an artist she was and still is.
Similar to “BYE BYE,” “I’m A Man” bursts out from speakers as hell-raising sirens announce the second coming of Gordon, whose eerie croaks command attention from what sounds to be a post-apocalyptic landscape. In what might be one of her most braggadocious tracks, the puzzling lyrics match the factory-level shifts in gear, where strange vocal inflections and a booming bass that shakes up the instrumental like an earthquake are right at home in the chaos.
Unlike other songs on the album, “It’s Dark Inside” ditches the trap beats for a confounding yet still sprawling industrial-stricken song that never collapses on its own weight. Metallic thrashing dominates the production, surrounding Gordon, who always comes out on the other side of an overbearing instrumental that could easily swallow up a less seasoned artist. So much so that not even the bass is unscathed, going through a meat grinder until bubbling up at random amid other unknown screeches.
Intentional or not, The Collective could have easily fallen apart at any moment and confused listeners from indulging in all eleven tracks. However, the confident direction of Gordon’s voice, which has not changed one bit after all these years, keeps the revolving machines intact in order to continually take a sledgehammer to the status quo.
Words: David Sosa
The Collective by Kim Gordon is out on streaming services. For more on new music and tickets to her tour, including a stop in LA at The Regent Theater on March 27, follow her on Instagram and her website.
Kim Gordon Tour:
March 21 – Burlington, VT – Higher Ground
March 22 – Washington, DC – Black Cat
March 23 – Queens, NY – Knockdown Center
March 27 – Los Angeles, CA – The Regent Theater
March 29 – Ventura, CA – Music Hall
March 30 – San Francisco, CA – Fillmore
June 7 – Minneapolis, MN – Fine Line
June 8 – Chicago, IL – Beyond the Gate @ Bohemian National Cemetery
June 9 – Detroit, MI – El Club
June 10 – Toronto, ON – Axis Club
June 12 – Hudson, NY – Basilica Hudson
June 14 – Philadelphia, PA – Union Transfer
June 15 – Pittsburgh, PA – Mr. Smalls Theatre
June 17 – Louisville, KY – Headliners Music Hall
June 18 – Asheville, NC – The Grey Eagle
June 19 – Atlanta, GA – Terminal West
June 21 – Carrboro, NC – Cat’s Cradle
June 22 – Vienna, VA – Out and About Festival
June 25 – London, UK – Koko
June 26 – Birmingham, UK – O2 Institute2 Birmingham
June 28 – Graz, AZ – Elevate Festival
July 1 – Munich, DE – Muffatwerk
July 2 – Prague, CZ – MeetFactory
July 3 – Gdynia, PL – Open’er Festival
July 5 – Roskilde, DK – Roskilde Festival
July 28 – Naeba, JP – Fuji Rock Festival
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