release date: Feb. 22, 1991
format: cd
[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,65]
producer: Nova Mob & Dave Kent
label: Rough Trade Records - nationality: USA
Track highlights: 1. "Introduction" - 3. "Getaway (Gateway) In Time" - 7. "Where You Gonna Land (Next Time You Fall Off of Your Mountain)?" - 8. "Over My Head" (live) - 9. "Admiral of the Sea" - 11. "Lavender and Grey" - 12. "The Last Days of Pompeii / Benediction"
Studio album debut by American band Nova Mob founded by Grant Hart in late '89 after an acclaimed solo album Intolerance (1989), which came after the disbandment of Hüsker Dü. Here, Grant is credited as guitarist and vocalist as well as composer of all twelve tracks, and Nova Mob is here in its first line-up with Hart, bassist Tom Merkl and drummer Michael Crego.
Musically, the band plays much in the same garage rock mix of alt. rock with bonds to folk rock and traditional r&b that is heard on Hart's debut. The production sound has improved slightly but still reveals a shallow and slightly thin sound as if [perhaps intentionally] recorded live in the studio. However, it still provides us with some strong songs by Hart, although, there's also left room for a few fillers. It nevertheless still feels much like a coherent whole, and it's clearly above mediocre but I do find his solo album as well as the band's successor Nova Mob (1994) bettering this.
[ allmusic.com 4,5 / 5 stars ]
