In Virus Times

A brief EP from the Sonic Youth guitarist features ruminative, unadorned acoustic performances that convey a sense of anxiety and perseverance.

Many artists made music during the COVID-19 global pandemic, but not all of them captured the way time moved -- or seemed not to -- during its early days as clearly as Lee Ranaldo did on In Virus Times.

Embracing the comfort of simplicity was a necessity in the fall of 2020. An unobtrusive sonata for acoustic guitar would have provided a welcome 22 minutes of headspace from pre-election anxiety and pandemic chaos. Unfortunately, Lee Ranaldo’s composition has only just arrived. And I find myself wondering why the one-take noodle took over a year to release.

Lee Ranaldo's 'In Virus Times' is a lockdown project through and through. Its sound, execution, and overall aesthetic stem from uncertainty and isolation.