Bob Mould

Blue Hearts

Written by: PP on 19/12/2020 13:55:23

If there's one man who's consistently pouring out new music without the quality diving, it is Hüsker Dü's very own Bob Mould. "Blue Hearts" is his fourteenth solo record and comes out just over a year after 2019's "Sunshine Rock". And if we look further back, you can see just what kind of a roll he has been on lately: in the past twelve years, he has released no fewer than seven(!) full-lengths, all of the rock-solid examples of music that sounds like the writer behind it wrote it with earnest passion and out of pure love for music.

That same pattern continues here. If you skip the boring opener "Heart On My Sleeve" - a slow acoustic piece with subpar singing that risks turning listeners off this album right away - the rest of the album delivers signature style Bob Mould where elements of Hüsker Dü merge with influence from Dinosaur Jr, Superchunk, and The Hold Steady. Rambling vocals delivered in scratchy style reign supreme over melodically ringing guitars and an overall buzzing, vibrant mood that's infectious from the get-go. "Next Generation" is fantastic, the rowdy "Fireball" is so upbeat and treble-charged that it feels as if it's bursting off its seams, and the emotive "Forecast Of Rain" is a great breather amid otherwise high-tempo material.

Yes, "Blue Hearts" is a teeny weeny bit more melancholic and less cheerful than the last couple of records, but on the other hand, it offers a nice change of pace and variety without sacrificing the core Bob Mould sound. Besides, you still have gems like "Siberian Butterfly", an upbeat, buzzing, vibrant alternative rock cut with punk nuances that take you down on a nostalgia trip to the golden 90s years of punk rock. Similarly, "Racing To The End" is Bob Mould at his best: electrifying guitars, buoyant tempo, catchy chorus, and the wonderfully scratchy vocals charming the listener all the way through.

And this, my dear readers, is how the entirety of the 14 track album sounds like. It has a sense of a buzz that's difficult to replicate, an optimistic, we live for this type of music-kind of a vibe that translates to fantastic songs and an overall package that feels just so... right.

8

Download: Siberian Butterfly, Racing To The End, Fireball, Next Generation, Forecast Of Rain
For the fans of: Hüsker Dü, Dinosaur Jr, Superchunk, The Hold Steady
Listen: Facebook

Release date 25.09.2020
Merge

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