The Breeders "Mountain Battles" (4AD)
By Marc Labelle
Friday. May 16, 6:40 PM
A nostalgic summer soundtrack.

Though it has been 18 years since The Breeders officially formed, this spring saw the release of their fourth studio album. Widely known for the 1993 hit “Cannonball” (from the quintessential slacker-alternative album Last Splash), The Breeders seemed destined to be a one-hit wonder, shadowed by the ongoing, continuing success of The Pixies. Their follow-up, Title TK, released in 2002, barely bred (ahem!) any deserved attention: the album was a pleasant return to form, yet somehow garnered little significant attention.

Luckily, Mountain Battles appears a mere six years after their last release (as opposed the nine years between Last Splash and Title TK). For a band that prides itself on its low-key, rough, unprofessional sound, Mountain Battles features a clean, produced sheen. In fact, bassist Kim Deal’s voice on opener “Overglazed” is drowning in reverb. The song, clocking in at a little over two minutes, has Kim repeating the lines “I can feel it” over a wash of near-psychedelic guitar swirls. The song, simple and sunny, provides the backdrop for the entire album.

“Bang On,” “Walk it Off,” and “German Studies” are riff-heavy toe-tappers, nostalgically evoking early '90s' lethargic summer days. These are cheerful, infectious pop gems with enough tongue-in-cheek to keep even the most cynical listener grinning. Kim’s voice, when not diluted in strange effects, is charming. On “Spark,” her clean, soft voice clashes with a deep, slow-winding guitar. There are traces of Helium during the messy, distorted chorus; the pop-like delicate verse comes to a severe halt, nearly breaking down on itself, until it picks up right where it left off.

There are moments of pure, playful kitsch peppered throughout: “Regalame Esta Noche,” a Spanish song which, aesthetically, would fit on any vile cruise ship. Though, in this scenario, the result is absolutely pleasant.

The album falters at times. “It’s the Love,” despite its clever guitar riff, suffers from a lackluster melody and its paint-by-numbers structure.

Like any well-balanced product, Mountain Battles, though rarely steering away from its short, concise, upbeat pop, tries its hand at more ballad-like numbers. “Night of Joy” and “We’re Going to Rise” pulls on the reigns, illustrating The Breeders’ ability to craft stunning songs. “Night of Joy” especially toys with a gorgeous, down-stroked chord progression, which ranks as a definite highlight.

Mountain Battles is not a surprising record, nor does it try to be. Bare, simple, and to the point, The Breeders return with a charming collection which can fit as anybody’s summer soundtrack.
www.breedersdigest.net
www.4ad.com

Click here to buy this album on iTunes!

Click here to download the iTunes jukebox application for Macintosh or Windows!

Marc Labelle

Got something constructive to say? By all means, rant away. Gonna blab about something unrelated and/or talk shit? Don't expect your comment to stick around.