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IN REVIEW: Sleater-Kinney - "No Cities To Love"


Your level of excitement for Sleater-Kinney's eighth album (and first in nearly ten years) is likely going to be somewhat dependent on whether you view Carrie Brownstein as "the one from Portlandia" or "the one from Sleater-Kinney". Those pressing play on No Cities To Love looking for quirky, hipster-baiting comedy might not get the album's desired effect, but those of us who fondly remember Sleater-Kinney's incendiary discography will fall right back in love by the time Price Tag hits its stride.

That's not to say No Cities To Love is a nostalgic act of fan service; it's not. Rather, it feels like a natural progression from The Woods. Whereas the former was dark, brooding and suffocating, the latter is slicker, more wide open and dangerous; to really see what I mean, try out Entertain and Surface Envy back-to-back. Or try standing former single Jumpers up next to current single Bury Our Friends; both great songs, but one bursts with life while the other chokes it out.

Brownstein, along with partners in crime Corin Tucker and Janet Weiss, are in complete command for the record's entirety, adding layer after layer to their legacy and punching staple after staple into their future set lists. Throughout, the lyrics are razor sharp, the rhythms alluring, the intensity and emotion palpable. It's also got massive chops and genuine hooks, as illustrated on Hey Darling and A New Wave. They're the type of songs that could (and should) do damage on alternative radio whether the calendar reads 1995 or 2015 (not that they're chasing fame, of course).

It should also be noted that jettisoning The Woods producer Dave Fridmann (whose loud, distorted production style still baffles me to this day) in favour of returning to John Goodmanson (who produced most of their previous records) is a sensible, fruitful move; there's still plenty of fury and the record is very loud by times (like the thunderous No Anthems), but it never becomes as exhaustive as The Woods was.

In fact, No Cities To Love has the opposite effect; rather than send you reeling from an aural assault, this record's conclusion will send you right back to the play button. It's not just a welcome return, it's a testament to the group's importance, ten shining examples of why we've missed them (even if we didn't realize that we did). It's not just another good Sleater-Kinney record, it's a new career benchmark. Sleater-Kinney may be the first to arrive on the battlefield in 2015, but don't be surprised if they're planting their flag and surrounded by the corpses of their challengers come December.

January 20, 2015 • Sub Pop
Highlights Price Tag • Surface Envy • Bury Our Friends

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