NYC Ghosts & Flowers (released in 2000) is one of the band's most experimental and introspective albums. Following the release of A Thousand Leaves, the album moves into a more atmospheric and experimental territory, incorporating elements of spoken word, free jazz, and a deeper, more somber tone. The album reflects the band's ongoing evolution, blending their signature noise-rock with more subdued, minimalist structures.

The lyrics are cryptic and poetic, with references to New York City’s urban landscape, personal introspection, and themes of decay and transformation. The band's raw, unpolished sound — which combines dissonant guitar textures, sparse rhythms, and atonal noise — creates an eerie atmosphere, making the album feel both haunting and intimate.

Tracks like “Free City Rhymes” and “NYC Ghosts & Flowers” showcase the band’s ability to mix dissonance and melody, while tracks such as “StreamXsonik Subway” take an experimental, ambient approach. The album is a complex tapestry of sound, capturing a moment in Sonic Youth's career where they are moving away from traditional structures and embracing a more freeform, avant-garde style.

Sonic Youth – NYC Ghosts & Flowers is a reflection of the band's willingness to push the boundaries of rock music and explore new sonic territories, making it one of their more challenging and thought-provoking releases.

Side A:
A1. Free City Rhymes
A2. Nevermind (What Was It Anyway)
A3. Small Flowers Crack Concrete
A4. StreamXsonik Subway

Side B:
B1. Side2Side
B2. Renegade Princess
B3. NYC Ghosts & Flowers
B4. Lightnin'