7/10

When she delivered her highly-praised debut solo LP 'No Home Record' in 2019, the then 67-year-old Kim Gordon was showing she is far from running low on new and exciting ideas in which to develop. After an incredibly prolific and adventurous career throughout the years, the former Sonic Youth vocalist was returning in a solo guise more confident than she had ever been. And after the rapturous response to that release, she is back once again with his sophomore solo album 'The Collective', a record that continues those innovative ideals once again.

What most stands out across 'The Collective' is the sprawling and impactful production behind each of the tracks. Exploring an industrial identity that dabbles with a mix of other hard and thunderous genres throughout, this new offering sees her building on the foundations of her first solo outing to unveil some wildly inventive aesthetics. With her distinctive vocals used sparingly across its eleven single runtime, she is still maintaining such a fresh and encapsulated presence here.

Although not quite the raucous introduction 'No Record Home' set itself as, 'The Collective' is a bold and alluring return that brings out some of her most experimental endeavours yet. Brimming with such a raw and driven pace from start to finish, she is back to her vibrant best here.