Bob Mould
Beauty & Ruin
Merge
Street: 06.03
Bob Mould = Hüsker Dü + Superchunk – Grant Hart

Former Hüsker Dü frontman Bob Mould has recently seemed to be in search of catharsis through the narrative process of songwriting. This 36-minutes-and-change set also does the nifty job of sonically recapitulating his entire career, from adrenaline-fueled Hüsker-type ravers to more sedate musings befitting his middle and later periods. His 2012 release, Silver Age, found him assessing the landscape upon turning 50, but a year later, while recording this, he was coping with the death of his father. The high points are “Little Glass Pill” and “Hey Mr. Grey,” but there are plenty of cheery moments, such as “Let The Beauty Be,” and “Fire In the City” just churns away. In balancing out the beauty and ruin that is life, he’s digested the losses and polished them into rough beauty. The trio of singer/guitarist Mould, Jason Narducy on bass, and drummer Jon Wurster (of Superchunk) packs a punch that would put old school punk trios like Green Day to shame. No doubt the Steve Albini production had something to do with that! –Stakerized!