Kim Gordon's second solo effort continues to dive into the swirling dark abyss of her noisy endeavors by mixing distorted guitar noise with blaring hip hop and electronic beats. The Collective is just as inviting as it is thrilling, making Kim Gordon a charismatic force.
Kim Gordon, New York's favorite and most beloved punk and fashion icon, is back with a new solo album. Following up her highly anticipated No Home Record, which I loved and greatly enjoyed, comes The Collective. Her second solo effort continues to dive into the swirling dark abyss of her noisy endeavors by mixing distorted guitar noise with blaring hip hop and electronic beats. She played with this eclectic sound on her last record on tracks like "Cookie Butter," "Don't Play It" and "Paprika Pony." It honestly sounded incredibly refreshing, inventive, and satisfying to hear a veteran like Gordon do something that I've never heard before on another record. Rather than play it safe, she's experimented and it payed off immensely. The same goes with The Collective, where this time she's fully enveloped in this noisy sound. Rather than the off-the-wall flow of No Home, The Collective's flow is dense, nonstop, and packs a punch. It's noisier, louder, and more abrasive. There isn't a lull or break for you to catch your breath at all, meaning the pure noise is here whether you're ready for it or not.
The album is all the more satisfying when you're here for the noise. It doesn't get old or boring throughout its track listing and retains to be fresh. If you're not in the mood, it can be a headache sifting through without a break, like when I heard it for the first time. At forty minutes in length, it's definitely a solid runtime and doesn't overstay its welcome and that's for the best. There are highlights here for sure: the blistering lead single "BYE BYE" features Gordon dryly rapping her shopping list, "I'm a Man" throbs with delight, "Psychedelic Orgasm" features quirky electronics and pleasant autotune that lays out like drone bliss. I did mention that there isn't much relief from all the noise but "Shelf Warmer" might be the closest the listener gets, its skeletal beats reminding me of "Paprika Pony." "The Candy House" is satisfying with its chirpy electronics going in and out of the forefront. The closer "Dream Dollar" has some of the best grooves on the record and "It's Dark Inside" has some glitchy noise reminiscent of Death Grips.
If No Home Record was any indication, Kim Gordon was bound to make another strong comeback the next time around and she certainly did. The Collective is a dark, twisted abyss that's just as inviting as it is thrilling. Personally I enjoyed this one and although it didn't blow me away or anything, it still hits hard when you're in the mood for some crazy, noisy chaos. I'm not always in the mood for it and sitting through forty minutes of this straight can be a headache some of the time for me (that's partially why I like this album slightly less than its predecessor) but overall The Collective is another left turn that should go unnoticed when looking at new memorable albums in 2024.
My Rating: 7 / 10
Favorite Songs: "BYE BYE," "Shelf Warmer," "Dream Dollar," "I'm a Man," "Psychedelic Orgasm"
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