4/5 ⭐️’s For the Former Pixies and Breeders Frontwoman’s New Project
Kim Deal (formerly of Pixies and The Breeders) has released her very first solo album. The legendary indie-rock musician worked on her record, Nobody Loves You More with Steve Albini, Kelley Deal, and more. According to a press release, Deal wrote and originally recorded two of the oldest songs on her new album—“Are You Mine?” and “Wish I Was”—in 2011. She did her most recent recording for the album with engineer Steve Albini at Chicago’s Electrical Audio in November 2022. Collaborators on the LP include Breeders bandmates Kelley Deal and Jim Macpherson, former bandmates Mando Lopez and Britt Walford, guitarist Josh Klinghoffer (Red Hot Chili Peppers as well), mixing engineer Marta Salogni, and mastering engineer Heba Kadry.
It’s a very personal and reflective album that showcases her range of musical platforms. Tracks jump from slower orchestral driven sonatas to energetic pop songs, which might distract some listeners. However, it is ultimately her journey and we are just the onlookers. It reads as fragments, which I think is fantastic. That’s how I remember my past – in bits and pieces, not long linear grabs of full episode, but rather highlights. That is what Deal is doing on the record, as it is a collection of those broken ideas, glued back together to recreate a full biography. Imagine regrouping 14 years of thought into completed songs to create a brand new album.
And kudos to her for breaking away from her “norm” which I have seen a few critics chastise Deal for. “She should do more of what she did in the past” is a god-awful thought that I saw one writer pen. She has stepped out of the Kim Deal we grew up with and has put her heart out there for us. She has grown and that is the beauty of this record. We get to hear that authoritative voice backed by wonderfully choreographed melodies. We get to hear her.
The knock seems to be on the “slower” songs of this album, but i see quite the opposite. There are those dynamite alternative rock tracks on the record also. The aggressively and intentionally messy ‘Big Ben Beat’ is a takeaway for sure, with the main highlight being the heavily distorted instrumentation. Another highlight is ‘Disobedience.’ It is a banger, especially the tone of the lead guitar. Any fan of Deal’s work with Pixies or The Breeders is guaranteed to enjoy both these songs. ‘A Good Time Pushed’ has one of the better bass lines I have heard this year. It smoothly ebbs and flows like a moonlit tide and is perfect to drive this song. In addition, its free-flowing nature is soothing to the soul. This is the type of bass line that you could play on a loop for hours. Along with the bass, the track has an awesome guitar solo, one that will stick inside the listeners’ craw.
According to the album notes Kim has a “current obsession with the concept of failure.” Her failure, or a least her interpretation of it, might be why this album is so good. She has reflected on these things and translated them to explain her art and her path to get to where she is. It is probably why we have waited 40 years for her to compile a solo piece. Overall it’s a beautiful record soaked in emotion.
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