Sonic Youth Haven't Reunited, But Will Release New Rarities Album

Instead of reuniting, Sonic Youth will release the rarities collection In/Out/In this spring. The pioneering alt-rock experimenters broke up in 2011 after the marital split of the band's principal duo, bassist-vocalist Kim Gordon and guitarist-vocalist Thurston Moore.

But fans can re-live Sonic Youth's sonic magic when the five-song In/Out/In arrives digitally on March 11. The effort's "In & Out"— an earthy, seven-minute-long lo-fi rumination — is available now. The collection will also be issued in physical formats.

Listen to "In & Out" and see the album artwork and track listing near the bottom of this post.

In/Out/In collects outtakes from the last 10 years of Sonic Youth, 2000–2010. The group, which influenced everyone from Nirvana to Sigur Ros, released their final albums during that time — NYC Ghosts & Flowers (2000), Murray Street (2002), Sonic Nurse (2004), Rather Ripped (2006) and The Eternal (2009).

In/Out/In's liners say it "reveals their last decade to be still heavy on the roll-tape and bug-out Sonic Youth. Not all recorded in one session but rather spread out. … The sequencing here is especially well thought out."

They add, however, that "casting an audio net over the entire instrumental/outtake oeuvre of Sonic Youth's long history isn't something easily committed to a single release without a doubt."

Alas, for all we quip, it seems unlikely Sonic Youth would get back together. And the band has suggested as much themselves. Understandably, any hopes for a reunion would hinge on a professional reconciliation between Gordon and Moore.

Still, Sonic Youth guitarist Lee Ranaldo tells Rolling Stone, “We're all living and breathing, so you never know what the future will bring. But we have not entertained [a reunion] at this point."

Pre-order In/Out/In here.