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Having split from wife Kim Gordon and with Sonic Youth on indefinite hiatus, Thurston Moore’s answer to any rumours of a mid-50s crisis seems to be fairly unequivocal: form a new band, crank up the guitars and pay tribute to the things that inspired him in the first place.

Chelsea Light Moving comprises Moore, recent solo collaborator Samara Lubelski, Hush Arbors guitarist Keith Wood and ex-Howlin’ Rain drummer John Moloney. Aside from the overlong avant-drone of Mohawk, this is a record of punkish endeavour, marked by convulsive guitar noise and chugging grooves coated in fuzz.

The great Frank O’Hara Hit is founded on key events in Moore mythology from the month of July (Jagger’s birth, Dylan at Newport, the titular NYC poet’s death), while Darby Crash is given his dues with a yelping cover of The Germs’ Communist Eyes. The whole thing sounds like they had a blast. Bloody good it is too.

Freelance writer for Classic Rock since 2008, and sister title Prog since its inception in 2009. Regular contributor to Uncut magazine for over 20 years. Other clients include Word magazine, Record Collector, The Guardian, Sunday Times, The Telegraph and When Saturday Comes. Alongside Marc Riley, co-presenter of long-running A-Z Of David Bowie podcast. Also appears twice a week on Riley’s BBC6 radio show, rifling through old copies of the NME and Melody Maker in the Parallel Universe slot. Designed Aston Villa’s kit during a previous life as a sportswear designer. Geezer Butler told him he loved the all-black away strip.