2008 Woodie Awards
New Breeders album hit or miss
Marissa Dubay
Issue date: 4/11/08 Section: A & E
A side project of Pixies bassist Kim Deal, indie rock band The Breeders have come together for their fourth album, Mountain Battles. Incidentally, much like a struggle to climb a mountain, the album can be difficult to follow through to the end, and can leave one feeling depleted at the comedown.
In all fairness, kudos should deservedly go to Deal after years of recording experience. Her vocals can be at times hypnotic, as if lulling listeners to a trance, or stripped down with straightforward lyrics.
Yet if there is one shortcoming that Mountain Battles truly suffers from as a whole, it's underproduction.
Much like an awkward first date, the band's minimalistic, low-key approach can be taken two ways - it's either endearing or a dealbreaker.
Case in point, the lyrics are often repetitive, à la The Bird and the Bee, in tracks like "Spark," albeit one of the band's signature traits. And the stoic "Night Of Joy" sounds as old-fashioned as a black-and-white daguerreotype photograph might look.
The unexpected change of pace pulling the album out of this slump is the ballad "Regalame Esta Noche," sung entirely in Spanish. "Here No More" has a familiar yet subtle rustic drawl to it.
These exotic elements help bring variety and depth to the overall arrangement, as well as develop the band's style.
Regardless of the bulk of the album coming off as somewhat drab, it's worth a spin on your disc player if you're prone to taking midday catnaps to background tunes.
Rating: 2.5/5 stars
In all fairness, kudos should deservedly go to Deal after years of recording experience. Her vocals can be at times hypnotic, as if lulling listeners to a trance, or stripped down with straightforward lyrics.
Yet if there is one shortcoming that Mountain Battles truly suffers from as a whole, it's underproduction.
Much like an awkward first date, the band's minimalistic, low-key approach can be taken two ways - it's either endearing or a dealbreaker.
Case in point, the lyrics are often repetitive, à la The Bird and the Bee, in tracks like "Spark," albeit one of the band's signature traits. And the stoic "Night Of Joy" sounds as old-fashioned as a black-and-white daguerreotype photograph might look.
The unexpected change of pace pulling the album out of this slump is the ballad "Regalame Esta Noche," sung entirely in Spanish. "Here No More" has a familiar yet subtle rustic drawl to it.
These exotic elements help bring variety and depth to the overall arrangement, as well as develop the band's style.
Regardless of the bulk of the album coming off as somewhat drab, it's worth a spin on your disc player if you're prone to taking midday catnaps to background tunes.
Rating: 2.5/5 stars
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