Bob Mould - District Line

Even Sugar never sounded so sweet

Not a tribute to the green bits of the London Underground map, but more a loose aural diary of the last five years, during which Mould has called Washington DC his home. And while 2005’s Body Of Song found the former Hüsker Dü and Sugar frontman dabbling (occasionally) in dance rhythms and electronica, this is a return to the mesmerising guitar figures of the best of his old bands’ records.

In particular, Who Needs To Dream? and lead-off single The Silence Between Us recall the frantic pace and energy of Sugar’s landmark Copper Blue album, tempered by the more acoustically-inclined Again & Again or Miniature Parade, but all with an assured ear for melody. It’s just possible that, pound for pound, Mould has dreamed up more radio-friendly stirring six-string anthems than on any other single album in his illustrious past.

The intermittent Vocoder trickery may sound a little dated, but that’s a tiny gripe when considering the overall emotional power of a set of songs from a man who, just a decade ago, was threatening to unplug his axe for good and settle into semi-retirement as a club DJ. District Line represents 10 reasons to give thanks for his change of heart.

Beggars Banquet | BBQ 258

Reviewed by Terry Staunton
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