Thurston Moore – The Best Day

All the classic Sonic Youth hallmarks are here: Moore’s half-spoken, half-sung drawled delivery, Steve Shelley’s powerhouse drumming, nomadic guitar runs and vague lyrical exhortations to ‘start a fire, stop a fight’. Yet, considering that this is band comprising Shelley, virtuoso guitarist and composer James Sedwards and My Bloody Valentine’s Debbie Googe, any overt fireworks or blasts of extreme invention are in scarce supply as they seek out their chemistry on record. Then again, impressive though The Best Day consistently is, the art-rock veteran's distinct sound ensures it’s nigh on impossible for him to sound like anything other than Thurston Moore. 

The most exciting moment here is the instrumental Grace Lake – the title a nod to the poet and political activist from Moore’s adapted north London home – which fizzes and pops with feedback, extended notes and a wonderfully sprightly arpeggio calling card. Nevertheless, perhaps the most enticing aspect of The Best Day is what this band might muster next, rather than what they’ve achieved here.