This album starts out with “Nervous Mary”, and it’s a very quiet intro. But it does really give us a minute to check in with Kim’s vocals. Honestly, she really hasn’t aged a bit. I love how legitimately cool her vocals come off at the intro. But when things pick up she can seriously carry herself just as wonderfully. There’s a real paranoid to this one, which is fitting since we’re dealing with a track about a Nervous Mary. It’s hectic, just upbeat enough to be a little punchy, and actually sounds like an old-school Breeders tune. I seriously love the hell out of “Nervous Mary”. It’s sort of Low-Fi, and it’s got the same artsy edge that Breeders have worked with for years. “Wait In The Car” packs quite a punch as well. The one thing I didn’t really expect to hear on this album is just how much attitude and energy The Breeders still pack. This one even has a little punk flair to it, and the Breeders for a few short minutes don’t sound like they’ve aged at all. As a matter of fact, I haven’t heard them sound this youthful and in touch with their sound since “Pod”. “Wait In The Car” is a fairly by the books tune, but I would rather hear Breeders playing it safe than coming off boring. “All Nerve” on the other hand is much more stripped down, with almost a Psychedelic feel. Kim pulls it off nicely though, with some very sleek, sultry vocals. And when it get’s heavier in parts, “All Nerve” gets even more interesting fast. So far, this is the comeback album that I really wanted to hear. It’s grungy, and it’s far from the shallow attempt we got with their last two recordings. “MetaGoth” continues down the much more sluggish path, but The Breeders have yet to really lose me. I love the wailing guitars and the grungy atmosphere. Not to mention, Kim on vocals sounds more dangerous than she has since her early years. I actually really love just how murky and dark this track is. For a comeback album, I really don’t know if we can ask for more than tracks like this. Also, I have to point out, “MetaGoth” is the right name for this one, because there are some seriously Goth tinges to this, and I love it.
One thing that The Breeders do have to keep in check, however, are these slower tunes. “Spacewoman” much like its title is seriously spacey and pretty out-there. But this is easily the most boring tune on here so far. THere’s all this great buildup during the verses, only to get a seriously underwhelming, wet fart of a chorus. “Spacewoman” is where I draw the line sadly. I don’t know what happened, but this album started out so punchy and filled with energy. But now, The Breeders just sound so exhausted and really sound like they don’t want to do this anymore. “Walking With The Killer” is up next, and I’m seriously wondering what the hell happened to that great energy earlier. Because with this one, it’s apparent that The Breeders have given up on all of that are so much more interested in being some far-out band. Needless to say, it doesn’t work for them at all. Kim sounds like she’s drunk or half asleep for most of this track. “Walking With The Killer” is the furthest thing from what I wanted to hear from The Breeders, not even close. With tracks like this, I really wish The Breeders didn’t release anything at all. And the instrumental goes absolutely nowhere by this one's finale. “Howl At The Summit” while it isn’t necessarily brilliant, is a step back in the right direction, with a little bit of oomph in the instrumentals and a slightly more upbeat sound. But what’s the deal with this very off-kilter and artsy rhythm? Where did those straightforward tracks we heard earlier get to? Those tracks may have been Breeders on cruise control, but I would take that over this any day. The strings in the background are on the charming side for sure, but this one again is like pulling teeth. Thankfully, with “Archangel's Thunderbird”, I find that energy. This one has a seriously funky riff and just enough bite. I dunno where the hell this one came from, but I’m seriously thrilled it’s here. This is exactly where I want to hear The Breeders. It’s straightforward enough to enjoy on your first listen, but at the same time has that slight artsy vibe that made The Breeders who they were to, begin with. This isn’t flashy, this isn’t a reinvention, this is just REALLY good.
But then, The Breeders want to hit us with a track like “Dawn: Making An Effort”. And truth be told, it’s absolutely gorgeous. But it’s also incredibly dreamy, to the point where once again The Breeders sound half asleep. This isn’t compelling Dream Pop, this isn’t some statement, it’s just way too sleepy to have much of an impact on anything. There are parts of this that I do like, especially the very shimmering production and the twinkling instrumentals. But I have to say, “Dawn: Making An Effort” is just sort of average for me. Now, for a slower tune here, "Skinhead #2” is actually one of the best executed. I love the strong bass groove, as well as the sheer heaviness of this one. I mean, production-wise this is heavier than some of the metal I’ve heard this year. It’s an all-around great tune, especially when you look at how ridiculously bad most of the other slow tunes have been here. Not to mention, by the end of this one everything get’s just so epic. This album wraps up with “Blues At The Acropolis”, and this one actually comes off as one of the more anthemic and powerful tunes here. The Breeders don’t sound beaten down or like they’re ending anything at all. Just the opposite, honestly The Breeders sound like they’re just getting started. Now, I do sort of wish this was a little more punchy or upbeat, and maybe this could wrap things up a bit more definitively. But overall, “Blues At The Acropolis” is a sharp closing track, and certainly makes me want to hear more from The Breeders.
One thing that The Breeders do have to keep in check, however, are these slower tunes. “Spacewoman” much like its title is seriously spacey and pretty out-there. But this is easily the most boring tune on here so far. THere’s all this great buildup during the verses, only to get a seriously underwhelming, wet fart of a chorus. “Spacewoman” is where I draw the line sadly. I don’t know what happened, but this album started out so punchy and filled with energy. But now, The Breeders just sound so exhausted and really sound like they don’t want to do this anymore. “Walking With The Killer” is up next, and I’m seriously wondering what the hell happened to that great energy earlier. Because with this one, it’s apparent that The Breeders have given up on all of that are so much more interested in being some far-out band. Needless to say, it doesn’t work for them at all. Kim sounds like she’s drunk or half asleep for most of this track. “Walking With The Killer” is the furthest thing from what I wanted to hear from The Breeders, not even close. With tracks like this, I really wish The Breeders didn’t release anything at all. And the instrumental goes absolutely nowhere by this one's finale. “Howl At The Summit” while it isn’t necessarily brilliant, is a step back in the right direction, with a little bit of oomph in the instrumentals and a slightly more upbeat sound. But what’s the deal with this very off-kilter and artsy rhythm? Where did those straightforward tracks we heard earlier get to? Those tracks may have been Breeders on cruise control, but I would take that over this any day. The strings in the background are on the charming side for sure, but this one again is like pulling teeth. Thankfully, with “Archangel's Thunderbird”, I find that energy. This one has a seriously funky riff and just enough bite. I dunno where the hell this one came from, but I’m seriously thrilled it’s here. This is exactly where I want to hear The Breeders. It’s straightforward enough to enjoy on your first listen, but at the same time has that slight artsy vibe that made The Breeders who they were to, begin with. This isn’t flashy, this isn’t a reinvention, this is just REALLY good.
But then, The Breeders want to hit us with a track like “Dawn: Making An Effort”. And truth be told, it’s absolutely gorgeous. But it’s also incredibly dreamy, to the point where once again The Breeders sound half asleep. This isn’t compelling Dream Pop, this isn’t some statement, it’s just way too sleepy to have much of an impact on anything. There are parts of this that I do like, especially the very shimmering production and the twinkling instrumentals. But I have to say, “Dawn: Making An Effort” is just sort of average for me. Now, for a slower tune here, "Skinhead #2” is actually one of the best executed. I love the strong bass groove, as well as the sheer heaviness of this one. I mean, production-wise this is heavier than some of the metal I’ve heard this year. It’s an all-around great tune, especially when you look at how ridiculously bad most of the other slow tunes have been here. Not to mention, by the end of this one everything get’s just so epic. This album wraps up with “Blues At The Acropolis”, and this one actually comes off as one of the more anthemic and powerful tunes here. The Breeders don’t sound beaten down or like they’re ending anything at all. Just the opposite, honestly The Breeders sound like they’re just getting started. Now, I do sort of wish this was a little more punchy or upbeat, and maybe this could wrap things up a bit more definitively. But overall, “Blues At The Acropolis” is a sharp closing track, and certainly makes me want to hear more from The Breeders.
Rating: 7.4/10
Give A Listen To: "Nervous Mary", "Wait In The Car", "MetaGoth", "Archangel's Thunderbird"
Genre: Alternative Rock
Overall Thoughts: This is a pretty standard comeback album from one of Alternative's more beloved acts. In a way, I feel like this is just so much of a comeback than either one of the album's that The Breeders released in the early 2000's. As a whole, they just sound so much more alive here and youthful. And while I wouldn't say anything about this album is them at their most artistic, I would so much rather hear The Breeders on cruise control than to have them push out a series of more mediocre albums. There are some tunes here that are way too sluggish and dreamy, but the more punchy tunes here prove that The Breeders still have gas left in the tank.
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