Between the Times and the Tides

Over the years, Lee Ranaldo has been almost as busy with his projects outside of Sonic Youth as he has been with that legendary band. Though his extracurricular work usually focused on the fringes of his music, Between the Times and the Tides is a much more accessible set of songs, rivaling the dreamy yet hard-hitting highlights he's provided Sonic Youth with for nearly 30 years. While his swooning melodies are unmistakable, Ranaldo is surrounded by players and longtime friends -- Nels Cline, Alan Licht, Jim O'Rourke -- who give this album a more muscular, open feel that serves his confident, confessional songwriting perfectly.