Review | Kim Gordon - "Murdered Out"

A statement-making rejection of the shiny brand new look, the idea of a new start, the promise of power, and the freedom on the open road. “ Kim Gordon’s new single “Murdered Out” sounds like the long time Sonic Youth vocalist and bassist is breaking free of her past and setting out for new territory, sonically and professionally. She mentions that when moving back to LA she began to notice cars that were painted with black matte spray, tinted windows and blacked out logos. She felt the owners had purged the shiny consumerist culture that their vehicles had previously represented and had created something new.

Musically, Gordon is purging her soul, rejecting her past and forming something brand new. Working with producer Justin Raisen, the Gordon that appears here is almost unrecognizable from the one that elevated past SY albums. There’s a growling almost industrial lean to the whole affair that is anchored by an extremely fuzzy bass line and a solid groove provided by Stella Mozgawa of Warpaint. She drones in the opening verse, “Murdered out of my heart with black matte spray...” It’s clear that Gordon is trying to forge a new identity, one that won’t be tied to her storied past.

To have a veteran musician so deep into an already exceptional career present something as fresh and promising as this is really exciting. For all the personal and professional turmoil that Ms. Gordon has recently endured there’s hope that the “murdering out” of what was regarded as her cultural status is one that will allow her the freedom she needs to make this new chapter musically beneficial for everyone.