Trees Outside The Academy - Thurston Moore
Trees Outside The Academy Image
Metascore

Generally favorable reviews - based on 25 Critics What's this?

User Score

Universal acclaim- based on 11 Ratings

  • Summary: The Sonic Youth singer releases his first solo album since 1995 on his own label.
Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 21 out of 25
  2. Negative: 0 out of 25
  1. Moore turns inward and turns down, which works to his advantage.
  2. It caps it all off to be as blunt, open and insightful as you would expect from someone you're now on first name terms with.
  3. Trees Outside the Academy sparkles with an eclectic (yet accessible) sound that has my early vote for Album of the Year.
  4. The album allows acoustic guitar to be the rule more than the exception. And the sublime melodies on 'Never Day' and 'Honest James' shine. Naturally, you can't take the boy out of art-school.

See all 25 Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 3 out of 3
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 3
  3. Negative: 0 out of 3
  1. AlanS.
    10
    PURE SONIC LOVE! A real evolution in Thurston's style mixing rock, folk, acoustic noise with a wonderful lyrical dimension that is refreshing and never boring at any stage... Expand
  2. Joe
    9
    Such a nice album, much better than Psychic Hearts.
  3. zoodude
    8
    A fine album. The guitars sound beautiful and the songwriting is pure quality. It's a relatively quiet affair but Moore still rocks out on a few occasions. This solo effort avoids self-indulgence and pretentious experimentation in favour of a more direct and melodic approach, with great results. Expand