IN REVIEW: Bob Mould - "Blue Hearts"

 

It seemed unlikely that the most ferocious response to the serial out-of-control garbage fires that comprise our modern times would come from a man who's about to turn 60, and yet here we are. As the driving force behind influential post-punk group Hüsker Dü, Bob Mould has built himself a formidable solo career in the 30+ years since the dissolution of his most famous band; while Hüsker Dü flamed out after cranking out six albums in four years, Mould has soldiered on through other bands (most notably Sugar, whose pair of '90s LPs are also considered influential) and a host of sonic twists and turns over the course of his fourteen solo albums.

All this history notwithstanding, it could be argued that Mould's most essential period started after age 50, with the release of the excellent and heavy Silver Age in 2012; while that album ushered in a return to some familiar sonic territory for fans, it also felt to some like Mould's last great statement, possibly due to it following his autobiography.

Instead of hanging it up, Mould went on to release three more albums over the '10s; Silver Age was followed by the darker, more sombre Beauty & Ruin in 2014, the mournful-yet-determined Patch the Sky in 2016, and the positive-leaning, celebratory Sunshine Rock in 2019. Then, shit really hit the fan, which has drawn out the response of Blue Hearts; continuing his winning streak with fire and fury, Blue Hearts rips through fourteen songs in 35 minutes, rarely pausing for reflection or losing focus.

As the fifth album with the rhythm section of Jason Narducy and Jon Wurster, Blue Hearts very much sounds like the product of three musicians working in tandem, and these songs are performed with a confidence and vigor that would shame a band of players half their age. Whether he's lashing out at the world at large or relaying personal crises, Mould has very rarely sounded as engaged as he has on this, perhaps the finest and most important record in his solo discography.

September 25, 2020 • Merge

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