7/10

After nearly forty years of producing some of the most groundbreaking and progressive music the world has ever seen, Kim Gordon is nothing short of a hero to many. Fronting iconic grunge outfit Sonic Youth alongside then husband Thurston Moore, she personified the angst and anger that Generation X thrived on and gave a voice to a whole generation of forgotten youngsters at the end of the last century. But with Sonic Youth and her marriage to Moore both firmly over, she has begun to focus on the next phase of her career with the release of her debut solo album 'No Home Record', a collection that sees her continue those raucous days once again.

While Sonic Youth was always a reflection of growing up as a young adult in the 90s, this new release looks to mirror the feeling of becoming middle-aged in today's society. It may not have the same intensity and tenacity of a younger Gordon, but still manages to unleash a bold and frenzied direction that sees her take on this new step with sheer gusto and aplomb. While sometimes paying homage to her formative sound, this new record is all about trying to find herself once again, and as a result finds itself flipping around in different guises while maintaining that solid and intimate approach that Gordon has always managed to adopt.

The fact that this album was recorded over a number of years is telling in the diversity and eclectic style it has formed. 'No Home Record' seems to reflect her own sensibility of a new beginning but without enough structure to really grasp the intention here. A strong debut but not without its occasional break to pace and flow.