Life presents us with experiences that affect us in a myriad of ways. Certain occasions can be beautiful ventures that improve our lives, such as getting married or moving to a beautiful country. Other events can be completely different, offering a bevy of emotions that can surprise us. Life has these adventures that can be strange and outright terrifying, demonstrating the darker sides of the world. Specific types of experiences can be potentially dangerous for you, but they can be thrilling at the same time. Some parts of life are unsettling in the best way possible, and one album that emphasizes this is Sonic Youth's "EVOL."
When "EVOL" was released in 1986, it offered a unique way of playing the electric guitar. Sonic Youth eschewed traditional riffs in favor of unstructured pandemonium and extreme atonality. "EVOL" is full of shrieking cacophonies, and the chaotic guitars display a strong free jazz influence. Guitars are transformed into this otherworldly presence that seems more like a spider creeping up into an alleyway, and Sonic Youth never fails to create spellbinding soundscapes with their music. Whether it's the ominous buildups on "Shadow of a Doubt" or the squeals at the beginning of "Secret Girl," Sonic Youth continually displays an ability to reinvent guitar playing.
The production on "EVOL" is notable as well. Sonic Youth went for a fascinating sound when they made "EVOL." Much of the album sounds like a cave in the best way possible. The guitars on "EVOL" scream with excessive distortion, floating over the music in a wildly unhinged manner. The bass lines are prominent and oddly groovy, sounding like disembodied forces that haunt the tortured world of the album. "EVOL" is also a dreamy effort in a off-kilter manner, as its songs have formless oceans of dissonance that wash over the listener. "EVOL" sounds like a supernatural force of nature in the best way possible, and it has this compelling combination of discordance and ambiance.
The atmosphere of "EVOL" is also spectacularly bizarre. The album progresses like the demented writings of an alien as its disaffected sound is capable of unnerving whoever dares to touch it. "EVOL" creates images of a dark world that has horrifying sights to it, and the ghostly vibe that it has creates an abstract feel to the album. "EVOL" seems like a nightmare that you never want to get out of, and it has an eerie touch that becomes spine-chillingly intense at times. "EVOL" has an unnatural presence to it that is completely its own, and it can frighten the listener with the sounds that it creates.
In conclusion, "EVOL" is a remarkable album in Sonic Youth's discography. The guitar work is consistently inventive, abandoning conventional playing methods for jazz-influenced discord and harsh sounds. "EVOL" sounds like a cave that creates transcendent experiences from atonality, and it has a terrifyingly unusual mood that radiates from the music. "EVOL" is an impressive effort from Sonic Youth, and it shows how life can offer a variety of unique experiences.
