Album Review: "Silver Age" by Bob Mould

It's time for me to try something very much out of my comfort zone. For many years, the names Bob Mould and Husker Du have been well known to me. That's not to say that these names ever found their way into my music library. It is far more appropriate to say that they were avoided like the plague.

But here we are and it's 2013 and there are only so many classic rock acts and there are only so many metal bands that are worth a damn and so on and so forth. This blog is part of a continuing mission to document the music I acquire, listen to, etc and it serves as a reminder of the dark days when I switched to MP3s and I heard Kiss, Metallica, and Megadeth 60% of the time. Bob Mould (and Husker Du) is someone that a great many people in this world hear something that I simply do not hear. So it's time to listen to his most recent solo effort and see what's there.

 Our hero of the day is certainly a bit long in the tooth is he not? That shows a long history in the music business that is to be envied. He is certainly not a major household name, but he has been well known to legions of fans for decades.

It has been so long since I have heard any of his music that really I didn't know what to expect and the heavily fuzzed guitars and pounding rhythms on the first track were a welcome surprise.

His vocals work so well along side of his guitars. There is a very great synergy in what he does that is very deftly handled. The songs are simple three chord garage rock which most people can enjoy.

There are no real lead breaks, no guitar parts, the drums and bass just fade into the guitar lines. This record largely lacks any sort of dynamic songwriting, but that's ok. It's crunchy, poppy, and fun.

The biggest complaint is AC/DC syndrome. When I looked down and heard the title track playing, I was shocked to see that it was the second track of the album because it sounded so much like the first! This is not something that needs to be listened to in a sitting as an album, but the tunes sound great when they pop up on shuffle.

Year: 2012
Genre: Rock, Garage Rock

Tracklisting:

1) Star Machine
2) Silver AGe
3) The Descent
4) Briefest Moment
5) Steam of Hercules
6) Fugue State
7) Round the City Square
8) Angels Rearange
9) Keep Believing
10) First Time Joy