Thurston Moore

Sun., Sept. 30, 8 p.m., $15, with Christina Carter, Johnny Brenda's, 1201 Frankford Ave.

by M.J. Fine

rock/pop/folk

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Just when you think Thurston Moore has reached his potential, he makes a gorgeous folk-pop record on his own terms. He's kept busy between Sonic Youth albums with avant noisefests and improv collaborations, but his latest, Trees Outside the Academy (Ecstatic Peace!), is his first mainstream-friendly solo step since 1995's Psychic Hearts. Moore sticks mostly to acoustic guitar, bass and melodic vocals; just as integral, for eight of 12 tracks, are J Mascis' searing lead guitar and Samara Lubelski's stirring violin. They play nicely together (the standard-setting "Frozen Gtr") and in other combinations. Moore and Christina Carter team up for "Honest James," a wistful duet of brotherly love, and the chiming continues on "Silver>Blue." Don't worry, noise fans — things get weirder toward the end. "Free Noise Among Friends" is a 37-second freak-out, while the nearly six-minute instrumental title track is intense if not quite epic. Worth listening to at least once is "Thurston @ 13," an archival recording of a young Moore making sounds with a Lysol spray disinfectant can, scissors and other household objects. OK, so he's never going to run out of ideas. But Trees Outside the Academy is one of the best in a long, strong career.

Sun., Sept. 30, 8 p.m., $15, with Christina Carter, Johnny Brenda's, 1201 Frankford Ave., 866-468-7619, www.r5productions.com.