Today I am going to talk about All Nerve, the new album by The Breeders, recorded with the lineup that put them on the indie rock map in 1993: Kim Deal (vocals, lead guitar), twin sister Kelley Deal (guitar), Josephine Wiggs (bass), and Jim McPherson (drums).
Since her years spent with the Pixies, Kim Deal’s music has always had that trademark Deal-y sound; the rocky, grungy roughness around the edges juxtaposed with sweet melodic hooks. This new album comes after a decade-long hiatus and it sounds as fresh as their early material, infused with maturity, shimmering songwriting and explosive creativity and manages to deliver a nice fare of killer tunes and no fillers.
The release I am reviewing is from Japan (4AD/Beat Records, Catalog #4AD0035CDJP), available on Amazon JP, which I would recommend for its two exclusive bonus tracks: Joanne and Gates Of Steel, a couple of masterful and imaginative cover versions of Michael Nesmith and Devo songs, respectively, that entirely justifies importing this CD.
The first single off the album—Wait In The Car—is a groovy, propulsive, joyous tangle of guitars and pop sensibility, while the opener Nervous Mary, a powerful rocker kicking off this work is contrasted by a glorious grower, the eponymous All Nerve, and a gorgeous lower key tune: Spacewoman.
The enthusiastic surf style of Walking With A Killer sparkles and spices up the already diverse mood of this work, while MetaGoth—probably my favorite tune on the album, with its driving bass and new wave-y sonics—in its clean, sparse instrumentation, delivers one of the most urgent and focused performances, featuring Jo Wiggs on lead vocals. Dawn: Making An Effort has an almost otherworldly quality echoing a post-rock canon thanks to its multi-layered sound and cryptic lyrics, while Blues At The Acropolis sounds huge, magnificent and monumental, with its wall-of-sound quality.
The long and short: All Nerve is an exquisitely creative collection of indie, pop, punk-rock, surf, Americana, and more experimental sounds. It is what I have come to expect from the Deal sisters and a whole lot more and, predictably, I am not disappointed. Do yourself a favor and grab a copy!
The Other Mix 