Another album that I missed from the past 2021 is the one released by Lee Ranaldo, guitarist and member of the fundamental Sonic Youth. “In Virus Time” was released on November 12 through the Mute label and obviously it was not given the publicity that would have been given to a Sonic Youth album, rather it has been something very discreet, as it has been since the dissolution of the seminal New York gang
It is an instrumental work divided into four tracks after being published for the first time last February 2021 as a single piece together with two short stories by French writer Lucien Jean, “En Herbe” published by Lenka Lente a prestigious publisher with an opening of you look enviable.
“In Virus Times” is “an acoustic instrumental piece that explores a sense of still time through scattered, meandering melodies and sweeping chords”. Lee himself admits that the inspiration came from those days of confinement where each day seemed like a repetition of the previous day. With those silent streets, without any soul strolling through the city. And precisely that repetition he wanted to be reflected in his compositions in a kind of soundtrack of the pandemic. 22 minutes of “strange” music fertilized by the state of mind that materializes in more than one human being when facing those moments of compulsory confinement, uncertainty and fear.
An album not suitable for all audiences, which is why I have also decided to write about works that go beyond albums made to sell, to please. Space must be given to other music, which is not only heard Heavy, Pop, Funky and/or Soul.
In short, the perfect successor to “Names of North End Women”, an album that he released in 2020 with guitarist Raül Refree.
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