It wasn’t two weeks into my freshman year of college that my friend Tessa had converted me from a teeny bopper pop punk fiend into a full-fledged Pixies fan. From that day forward, music has never been the same to me. For this, I thank not only my BFF, but Miss Kim Deal. Whether it was her works in the Pixies, the Amps or her post-Pixies days in the Breeders, Deal is most definitely a front-runner as far as bassists, influential women in rock or just flat out talented musicians go.
After all my recent discoveries at SXSW, I’ve had a few weeks to grow accustomed to and cool off on all the current buzz-bands from Santogold and MGMT to Bon Iver. Settling back into the old comfortable haven of simple, yet solid alternative rock is something I’ve strayed away from as of late—but am warmly re-welcoming. Enter Mountain Battles, the fourth full length album from The Breeders, the first one in six years since the release of Title TK.
Now as much as I adore Kim Deal, I must admit that Title TK didn’t exactly leave much of an impression on me. The album was okay at best, and a bit of a disappointment since it had been nine years in coming since the critically acclaimed Last Splash had hit the music scene back when MTV still played music videos, in ’93.
This time around, however, the long wait was much worth waiting for. With such addictive replay worthy tracks as “Bang On,” “Istanbul,” “Walk it Off” and “German Studies,” I had to start kicking myself in the head a bit for not being more stoked about this upcoming release ahead of time. How would I have known what was up Deal’s sleeves? How could I have prepared myself for this echoic, simple, quiet yet loud hybrid of good old fashioned alternative rock? Sure, it’s reminiscent of the flannel days. There are several songs that scream out “What the hell was Frank Black thinking?!” Had he not had his head shoved so far up his ego-ridden ass, several of these songs could have easily been found side by side to the likes of “Gigantic.” Speaking of the Pixies, am I the only one who finds the cover art to Mountain Battles eerily similar to that of Doolittle?
Ranting and ravings aside, the latest effort by the Breeders is for the most part a solid start-to-end record. I was pretty taken back the first time I heard the delectably gritty and pulsing single, “Bang On,” which wowed me immediately. Coming in neck-to-neck as a personal fave is “Istanbul,” which dazzled in its minimal percussion, dirty bass lines and Deal’s chanting like chorus, “Where you going? To the city! Where you going-to the city, where you going? Is-tan-bul!” You catch the drift—it’s a catchy tune. Another stand out track is the exceptionally poppy “It’s the Love,” which stands out a bit with Deal’s higher vocal pitch, quicker upbeat tempo and overall sound.
With the exception of the brutal Spanish “Regalame Esta Noche” and maybe the overly bare closing album title number “Mountain Battles,” I couldn’t find much to complain about. All tracks minus the album concluder manage to clock in under three minutes, proving my theory that shorter songs are generally better, keeping the listeners intrigued and wanting more (with the exception of Radiohead, of course).
Now does Mountain Battles have the same timeless longevity as say, Surfer Rosa? Probably not—but I will say that this album will surprise many—both loyal and new Breeders fans alike. Only time can tell where this record remains in the snobbery of critics top 100 lists, but one thing is for sure—some things are just worth waiting for.
Mountain Battles hits record shelves next Tuesday, April 8th. Tour dates in the Midwest region include First Avenue in Minneapolis on May 30th and a Chicago date at the Metro the following night, May 31st. You can stream Mountain Battles in completion here.
