Blowoff
Bob Mould has tried for years to reconcile his love for melodic and noisy rock music with his interest in dance-based music. Both 2002'sModulateand 2005'sBody of Songteamed Mould's signature vocals and taste for mini-anthems with percolating electronics, but both had structural failings as albums. They had some great songs, but weren’t records that most of us would want to listen to from end to end (assuming people still care to do this in the iPod age). Teamed here with dance-remix heavy and onetime Deep Dish collaborator Richard Morel (a.k.a. Pink Noise), the results are often excellent. There are more guitars here than you might expect; only the most rabidly rockist Sugar/Husker Du fan will be disappointed. Mould has clearly found the best writing partner he's had since Grant Hart; they even seem to be able to write songs together. From the campy, wrestling-inspired cover image to the way the tunes artfully marry elements of house and indie rock, Blowoff's debut is Mould's most honest, happy, and syncretic release in at least a decade.--Mike McGonigal