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Review: The Breeders’ “Mountain Battles”

April 09, 2008 5:40 PM

She may never get the credit, but Kim Deal is one of the most important women in modern rock music history.  As the bassist for the Pixies in the late eighties, she helped spearhead the nineties rock revolution.  In 1990, while still actively in the Pixies, she teamed up with Throwing Muses’ Tanya Donelly and Perfect Disaster’s Josephine Wiggs and recorded the first Breeders’ album, “Pod.”  “Pod” is now considered an alt-rock classic in some circles.  Shortly afterwards, Donelly left the band to form Belly, and Deal’s twin sister Kelley took her place. From this point on the Deal sisters would be the only mainstays of the often-changing lineup. 

1992 found the band releasing the under-rated “Safari” EP.

  In 1993, the group hit it big with their album “Last Splash” and their monster single “Cannonball.”  All was good for them until they were sidelined by Kelley Deal’s 1995 visit to rehab after being arrested for having drugs.   In her absence, Kim assembled a bunch of Dayton, Ohio musicians (including then Breeders drummer Jim MacPherson) and recorded a very, very rough sounding record under the name The Amps.  Shortly after her release from rehab, Kelley Deal released two records of her own.

In 1999 the Breeders’ cover of the James Gang’s “Collage” appeared on “The Mod Squad” soundtrack. It was their first new work in six years. 

All was then quiet in the Breeders’ camp until 2002 when they resurfaced with a drastically different lineup (still anchored by the Deals of course) and released the album “Title TK.”  It was a difficult beat-driven record, very different from “Last Splash,” but it was also excellent in its own strange way. 

A few years ago all of the original Pixies made peace and toured around the world, reclaiming the glory they deserved but never really had when they were originally together.  It was nice to see such underground heroes get their due, especially when their formula had made so many other bands rich.

“Mountain Battles” is the first post-Pixies-reunion Breeders album, thus it is possible that it could boost them back onto the Billboard charts.  It has no intension of courting any sort of pop audience, but it’s a chugging, churning, muscular record.

Right off the bat, Kim announces the band’s triumphant return by shouting “I can feel it!” over a massive backdrop of beats and fuzziness.  She sings like a warrior shouting from the top of a mountain.  Considering the album’s title, this opener surely sets the mood. 

“Bang On” is a boom-bap-driven, machine-like dance groove in the same vein as Trio’s classic “Da Da Da.”  (Both tracks rely on catchy repetition.)  Even though it is only 2 minutes long, it’s infectious enough to become a left-field hit.  It’s hard not to sing along to the words, “I love no one and no one loves me” over and over again. 

There’s a dark, mournful element to the band’s sound that appeared on the last record.  (Listen to “Off You” on “Title TK” and you’ll see what I mean.) This mood continues to be a part of the band’s sound on the ironically titled “Night of Joy.”  It sounds like a soundtrack for a good crying fit or at least the theme to a really dramatic movie.  In any case, it has the sort of musical sophistication tune-wise that the Breeders of the “Last Splash” era might not have been able to muster. 

“We’re Gonna Rise” continues with a similar tone.  It was the first track on the album to surface, and though it is slow, it is a moving and perfect single.  There’s a timeless element to it. Kim Deal suddenly has great expertise in crafting what sound like unsettled lullabies, yet beneath all of the feelings of discontent, there’s a feeling of warmth throughout.  Her voice adds a lot.  It has always set her apart from the rest.  In the last 20 years it has gained a little rasp, but it still is a unique, sweet, downright awesomely likeable instrument.

Things pick up for “German Studies,” an earnest rocker, which true to its title is sung in German. 

“Spark” once again sounds rather sad and sparse but there is an explosive element to the way the track quietly seethes.

“Istanbul” is an Eastern-tinged slow-burner, sounding for a moment, a little bit like a minor-key take on the Amps’ track “Bragging Party.” Then the spoken part begins. “Where you going?  To the city! Where you going? Istanbul!” A distorted organ enters midway for a rather druggy, atmospheric solo. 

“Walk it Off” is the closest to an old-school Breeders single here.  It’s built on a bass-heavy three-chord crunch.  Anyone looking for something more familiar and accessible on this record will enjoy this song.  It’s a good reminder of why the band was so loved in the first place. 

The record takes an interesting left turn with an astounding and unexpected cover of Roberto Cantoral’s “Regalame Esta Noche,” which is sung with an uncharacteristic level of operatic, dramatic gusto.  Very nice and romantic, indeed!

“Here No More” finds the Deals in acoustic-guitar strumming folk singing mode, thus making “Mountain Battles” their most eclectic album to date. 

“No Way” is a wonderfully off-putting churning rock piece. The track is wonderfully off-putting at first.  It takes you by surprise when it takes off in a mighty garage-rock driven rumble.  Main producer of "Mountain Battles," Steve Albini has produced 3 out of 4 of the Breeders’ full-length albums and he knows how to capture their raw energy.  In fact few producers are able to capture raw energy, in general, quite like Steve Albini. 

“It’s the Love” is another cover.  The song was originally recorded by the band’s friends The Tasties.  The song gives the album one last upbeat burst. 

The closer is the title-track.  If you liked the “Last Splash” track, “Mad Lucas,” you’ll love this.  It is mostly just Kim and an organ.  Every now and then you get a bit of guitar action, but mostly it is a bare piece of work full of extended notes from the lower reaches of the organ’s scale.  If you don’t listen closely, you might be maddened by the track, but you should really turn it up and let it wash all over you.  Only then will you hear its unique beauty.  A distortion-laden musical line punctuates the last minute or so, giving it a nice sense of texture. 

“Mountain Battles” isn’t just any Breeders album – It’s among their best.  Anyone who passes this up thinking it’s going to be the work of a band past their prime will be missing something.  The Deal sisters (along with current band members Mando Lopez and Jose Medeles) have created a fully dynamic record.  It may be hard to say whether it will click with the buying public, but this record is every bit as good as their breakthrough, “Last Splash.”  Kim Deal has yet another reason to be proud.  She is someone aspiring rock musicians should study, for she remains a titan in the world of indie-rock.  It’s time for the Breeders to have massive success again.  If promoted through the right channels, this is the perfect record to reintroduce them to the skeptical, hungry masses.  It is not a trendy, pop-driven record.  It feels free to experiment.  It feels free to rock. It is everything a good, edgy rock album should be.  Let the battles begin!

April 9, 2008 | Permalink | User Comments (2)

User Comments

Posted by: Rob | Apr 13, 2008 11:29:25 PM

Posted by: anne | Apr 14, 2008 3:54:33 AM

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