Corin Tucker Band
Kill My Blues
****out of *****
Corin Tucker's second release with her new band finds the energy ramping up for the former Sleater-Kinney rocker. If her last album 1,000 Words was considered (in her own words) a "Midlife Mommy Album" Kill Your Blues is the sound of an anxious energy filled rocker ready to bust back out onto the scene.
The disk has a rock induced hip swaying uptempo beat from the opening "Groundhog Day" where Corin seems to sadly see things slipping back to the way they were politically and socially, this just also happens to be the time when Tucker made her strongest music and Sleater-Kinney seemed to thrive. "Groundhog Day" is a blatant and successful callback starting album off vibrantly while "I Don't Wanna Go" seems to address this begrudging return to popish-punkish form best as she sings "Just when I got it together/fell for a nice guy/started a family/just when I turned the page". All of this plays out over slashing guitars, popping bass and feedback laced tempo changes.
The title track and "Neskowin" keep things cruising as the former plays with keys and electric blues vamps while the latter goes with tight snares as Tucker returns to her riot grrl's roots via the lyrics. "Blood Bones & Sand" has a death march feel with pianos while "Outgoing Message" is a quirky snapshot sendoff and "Tiptoe" is massively rocking album closer .
All of the songs here are peculating vitality, "Summer Jam" cooks while "Constance" seems to play around with a "Smells Like Teen Spirit" structure while incorporating gorgeous organs and keyboards creating a unique and intoxicating final sound. Tucker has mentioned this is a group effort as Seth Lorinczi (Golden Bears), Sara Lund (Unwound) and Mike Clark (Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks) are all comfortable enough having played together that these tracks just flowed out.
If you were a fan of Tuckers past work and a bit let down by the mellowness of her first solo effort, hop back into the riot grrrl's world as Kill My Blues is an vibrant explosion of sonic excitement from Tucker and company.
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We have been long time fans of Tucker and while we didn't hate 1,000 Words, we have rarely went back and listened to it since reviewing it. Kill My Blues on the other hand is a complete success and will go into heavy rotation this fall I am sure. We will be catching the band when they play NYC in a few weeks, and you can stream the album for yourself right now over at Stereo Gum!
As always support the artist, catch them live in your area and buy the album here.
"Groundhog Day"
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