Rating:
Genre:
Rock
Release Date: 04/30/1996
As he was promoting the last
Sugar album,
File Under: Easy Listening,
Bob Mould hinted that he was tired of working with a band and was fascinated by the simple, four-track recordings of
Sebadoh and
Guided by Voices. So, it didn't come as a complete surprise when he disbanded
Sugar a year after the release of
FU:EL and began working on a record by himself.
Bob Mould, his third solo album, was recorded entirely by
Mould, but it doesn't sound like a lo-fi project -- it doesn't have the professional production of
Sugar's records, but it has all their sonic detail. What has changed is the details themselves.
Bob Mould may not surge on waves of loud guitars like
Hüsker Dü or
Sugar, but
Mould is reaching into new territory, using distortion as a coloring device and exploring trancier melodies. And
Mould sounds revitalized throughout the album -- although it is clear that this isn't a collection of first-takes, his obsession with making the album entirely on his own makes the music fierce and alive.
Mould may be heading further into singer/songwriter territory with each album he releases, but he keeps his music away from stodginess by continually changing his approach and delving into new sonic territories. It also doesn't hurt that his increasingly bitter lyrics are gut-wrenchingly provocative and his melodies are consistently engaging.
~Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide
;)
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