ued |
erful stadium rock crescendo that makes an impact in just two minutes. Here We Go Crazy walks a tightrope between sounding professional and making an immediate impression, which is a difficult task to pull off, especially decades into a career. If this is going crazy, sign us all up. Appearing April 25 at Metro Chicago
– Andy Derer
8
|
|||
6 |
illinoisentertainer. com april 2025 |
BOB MOULD Here We Go Crazy
( BMG) Where Hüsker Dü often dabbled in chaos, the solo career of Bob Mould has been more level-headed. The volume is still loud, and the distortion is still crunchy, but there is a measured thoughtfulness running throughout Here We Go Crazy, the 14th solo album from Bob Mould. Throughout the 1980s, Hüsker Dü constantly sabotaged their own pop-friendly melodies with piercing noise and tape hiss, and by the time they finally scaled the Warner Brothers major label mountain with Candy Apple Grey and Warehouse: Songs And Stories, they were primed to self-destruct and splinter into solo projects. Bob’ s solo career would begin in earnest with 1989’ s moody and reflective Workbook album, a template that would pay massive dividends in the following years for both R. E. M. and Nirvana. As the years progressed, Mould became an honest technician, honing his songwriting prowess into an undeniable mix of pop-savvy while never turning his back on his punk rock roots. Here We Go Crazy, the 6th Mould album to feature the rhythm section of Jon Wurster( drums) and Jason Narducy( bass), sounds like a seasoned, veteran band completely comfortable in its own skin. The opening title track has an undercurrent of existential dread, but it ' s dressed up with a catchy chord progression and a persistent melody from one of the architects of alternative rock. Then there is“ When Your Heart Is Broken,” a candy-coated piece of power pop that would be destined to scale the Billboard charts if they still valued loud guitars, catchy choruses, and salt & pepper facial hair. There’ s an economy in the way these songs don’ t waste time getting to the point, whether it’ s the angry blitzkrieg of“ Neanderthal” or the sideways riffing on“ Fur Mink Augers.” The down-tempo agroacoustic“ Lost Or Stolen” is unsettling in its own way, a true highlight of the album as it harkens back to Workbook and may eventually be a live show highlight. The album ' s closer,“ Your Side,” begins as a lovely romantic vow and quickly builds to a pow-
|
SKUNK ANANSIE The Painful Truth
( FLG)
Skin, the charismatic frontwoman of British rockers Skunk Anansie, is a striking figure. By addressing political and social issues and breaking down racial and gender barriers through their music, Skunk Anansie is as eclectic and diverse as they come. On the band’ s seventh full-length album The Painful Truth – its first in nine years – it manages to capture the momentum it achieved in the mid-1990s when they were at their peak of creativity. The album’ s title fits the band’ s perspective and is a good representation of what inspired it through personal experiences, as well as its various ups and downs throughout its history. One such down was that bassist Richard“ Cass” Lewis was diagnosed with stage four cancer and was receiving chemo throughout the recording of the new album. There’ s great chemistry between the band members – also featuring guitarist Martin“ Ace” Kent and drummer Mark Richardson— as they have
Continued on page 8 Continued on page 10
|