Thurston Moore's name may have become synonymous with ear-piercing walls of feedback and distorted wankery, but his newest solo release "Trees Outside the Academy" proves the old adage that distortion doesn't make the man. Even after trading in his Fender Jazzmaster for an acoustic dreadnaught, he creates a sound that will ring familiar to Sonic Youth fans.

What does it sound like? Think Neutral Milk Hotel fronted by Moore. Probably the best comparison would be Elliott Smith to his punk rock group, Heatmiser: all of the elements you know and love are there, just in a slightly retooled fashion. Truth be told, any of these tracks would have sounded at home electrified on the Youth's last album, "Rather Ripped" -- but here they are wrapped up in lush instrumentation that allow Moore to show is more ... erm ... intimate side.

Squeaking violins and heavy uses of sampling replicate the usual SY dissonance, allowing his trademark hipster drawl to shine through as we have become use to, and the electrified moments of the album are provided by the J Mascis -- fucking LEGEND extraordinaire (and trust me, you know the instant he enters.)

Probably the most pleasing thing about the album, though, is the exception job of pacing. Most rock albums seem to have their tracks arranged to provide a strong intro and finish, but often lead the listener to press 'Skip' a couple times towards the middle. Not so here. No sooner is Moore done with a so-earnest-his-eyes-bleed track (see: "Fri/End" or "Never Light"), than the tempo picks up and we're thrown into a full on punk number like "Wonderful Witches." It's these songs that provide the most rewarding spans on the album, when we're reminded that, even though his band would be fully capable of playing in the midst of a power outage, he's still an utter badass -- and we best not forget it.

There's more than a couple cuts from the album up for free download on the website of his self-run label, Ecstatic Peace! ... so stop reading and go listen, already.