release date: Apr. 7, 2008
format: digital
[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,44]
producer: non-produced*
label: 4AD Records - nationality: USA
Track highlights: 1. "Overglazed" - 2. "Bang On" - 4. "We're Gonna Rise" - 5. "German Studies" - 8. "Walk It Off" (live) - 12. "It's the Love" (live)
4th and so far final studio album by The Breeders is not attributed producer credits - much in their usual way paying little attention on after-processing. Engineers and recorder credits include Steve Albini, Erika Larsen, Ben Mumphrey and Manny Nieto. Although, Kim and Kelley recorded initial sessions for a new album as early as in 2002 after having just released Title TK, a reunion tour with Pixies and several new studio sessions in various locations delayed the process. In 2007 guitarist Richard Presley left the band and the final recording sessions for the album is therefore only with Kim and Kelley Deal on guitar.
The album may be seen as a fine and natural successor to Title TK with its likewise focus on proto-punk influences and close to garage rock-styled noise pop. Basically, I think this is the album by The Breeders that comes closest to the sound of Pixies when thinking of a combo of Surfer Rosa and Title TK. It doesn't stir up things or excel in high energy guitar distortion as the predecessor, but it balances a demo-sound and typical quirkiness of the Deal sisters nicely within a sonic sphere with equal amounts of rock tradition and artistic originality. Some songs may come close to what sounds like retakes on early Pixies compositions ["German Studies" and "Walk It Off"], but all in all, I think the album is more typical for what represents Kim Deal, and imho that can't be bad.
The Breeders hasn't stopped touring, although, no new albums so far has been released. In 2012 the band re-united in the original Last Splash line-up with the Deal sisters, Josephine Wiggs and Jim Macpherson, and the album was reissued in a comprehensive 3-disc edition titled LSXX. In 2016 rumours suggested that the band was doing studio rehearsals, which would imply that a new album is on its way.
[ allmusic.com, Mojo, Spin, NME 4 / 5, Rolling Stone 3,5 / 5 stars ]
