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Review: The Breeders’ “Fate To Fatal” E.P.

April 21, 2009 3:21 PM

  Kim and Kelley Deal, the twin sisters who lead the Breeders have long given up on having another hit the size of “Cannonball.”  Listening to the title track of their new digital E.P., “Fate To Fatal,” it’s apparent that they are purposely trying to put emphasis on a strikingly non-commercial sounding  track .  I say, all power to them.  The song is an absolute mess but it also fully rocks.  If all you know about the Breeders is their 1993 album, “Last Splash” and you haven’t heard the more experimental follow-ups, “Title TK” (2002) and last year’s "Mountain Battles," be prepared to proceed with caution.  The ramshackle, banged out nature of this track is typical to the way the Deals rock these days.  At first this song may seem pretty tuneless to the untrained ear.  By the eighth listen or so, if it hasn’t won you over, it might not.  It definitely won me over.  I found myself listening to it on repeat for extended periods of time.  Its destructive nature only initially makes it seem aimless.  Upon deeper listening, its complexities reveal themselves and you realize that Kim Deal’s seemingly flat vocal turns are carefully calculated.  Perhaps this is meant to turn off the squares.  No doubt it will.  The music video is also quite fittingly messy and amazing, starring an all-female roller-derby team, the St. Louis Arch Rivals.  The song won’t probably get any radio play as Kim goes from a righteous shout to a mumbled, garbled coo.  As the bassist of the Pixies, she helped develop the loud/quiet/loud formula.  Here, she takes it (and pretty much every  other formula) and throws it on its ear.  It’s an amazing moment.  I will be listening to this track and analyzing it for quite some time. 

There are three other tracks on the “Fate To Fatal” E.P. All of them cause much less of a ruckus than the title track.  Screaming Trees’ Mark Lanegan makes a guest appearance to sing “The Last Time.”  It’s a very woozy, spacey, pseudo-Velvet Underground sort of track.  Lanegan sounds effectively weary and not completely unlike Lou Reed here. 

“Chances Are” is a cover.  It’s not the Johnny Mathis tune.  It’s the Bob Marley song.  The Deals take the song and reduce it to its lullaby essence.  Back in the “Last Splash” and “Pod” days, the Breeders were known for churning out rockers.  On “Title TK” and particularly “Mountain Battles,” many of the album highlights were softer.  (Songs like “Off You” and “We’re Gonna Rise” come to mind.) This song follows a similar thread.  Ever since she sang “Gigantic” 21 years ago, Kim has built her reputation on her sweet, unique raspy voice.  On softer songs, her true singing ability can truly shine. 

“Pinnacle Hollow” ends the collection.  The song remains an instrumental for the first two and a half minutes or so, exploring a sort of back-porch, bluesy dirge.  Over the years, the Deals have developed a distinct, lo-fi sonic murkiness of their own.  Here, that technique is used to create a slightly spooky atmosphere. The chord progression trudges along while they sing in a very deadpan manner, “up and down the road….”  It’s not even close to as weird as the “Last Splash” cut, “Mad Lucas,” but then again, few tracks are.  It’s still eerie, none the less. 

The “Fate To Fatal” E.P.  comes just barely a year after “Mountain Battles,” which is quite a welcome change of pace for a band known for seemingly endless hiatuses.  This E.P. will definitely satisfy any long-term fan.  New fans would be advised to pick up “Pod” or “Last Splash” first before delving into this edgy terrain. 

Kim Deal has continually proven she can break new ground.  She does so, here, yet again.  Let’s hope she can continue to do so for a long, long, long time.

April 21, 2009 | Permalink | User Comments (1)

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Posted by: Mike Davies | May 9, 2009 4:29:39 PM

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