Customer Reviews

Go to the Sugar Altar

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This debut for Breeder Kelley Deal's sideband is full of wicked riffs, canny writing, beautifully reedy, husky vocals, and pop-rock hooks that show a playfulness of spirit and yet don't lean completely to a commercially-driven musical side. This CD is pure 1996, in all its alt-rock glory, sounding much like The Breeders at their best. "Canyon" kicks it off with wonderful percussion, "How About Hero" is wonderfully rambunctious, and the rocking "Dammit" (soft...soft, then LOUD) is affecting and amusing at once. My favorite track is the just-under-two-minute "Tick Tock", which has a catchy, fuzzed-out bubblegum flavor wrung through distorted guitars and vocals. In other words, it's glorious.

When one completes a period of rehabilitation, a bizarre paradox is left. Either start again or continue where you left off. For Kelley Deal encountered this problem after leaving a drying out clinic in 1995. Her answer was "Go to the Sugar Altar", in which she took a third way, combining the old and the new. An interesting and innovative, if at times tiresome and irritating, approach. "Nice" is the track that stands out most, even if not the best achieved. It verges on the harmonic to the unlistenable as Deal's vocal scratches through the reverberated microphone. Nothing is quite as shocking as this track although the divesity in variety offered here can at times feel quite disorientating. The pure pop of "How About Hero", the funk of "Sugar", to the blues of the apt closer "Mr Goodnight" all show that this half of the Deal family is not totally about the late Eighties Boston rock sound which characterise her sisters projects. However the formula does exist in "Canyon", "Dammit", "Head of the Cult" and "A Hundred Tires". The best achieved song, which is not bettered by along way here, is "Trixie Delicious". Only on this track do the Kelley Deal 6000 achieve what they show promise of everywhere else. An album full of "Trixie Delicious"'s may be more repetative, but would have provided a more substantial end result.

Say what you will about her chops, (and some have said quite a bit) Kelley Deal is by far, the better writer/composer of the Deal sisters. Go to the Sugar Altar, as well as Boom Boom Boom, are proof of that. More sarcastic and layered, and definitely consisting of more variety than any Breeders album, GTSA is always in my CD tray.

Okay...so perhaps Kelley's not the musician that Kim is. And Kim has a certain air about her that seems to infuse the personalities of people who are "stars" that Kelley somehow doesn't seem to possess. (Though if you've ever seen the Deal sisters on stage you know that Kelley can hold her own with Kim when it comes to presence.) Other than that, I actually think Kelley's every bit her twin sister's rival when it comes to songwriting and singing (of course, her vocal is close to identical to her more famous sister's). I have to say that I like the KD 6000 records as much as the Breeders records, other than I suppose Pod, which is a masterpiece of '90s alternative rock. Both KD 6000 collections are definitely worth buying.

Worthy post-Breeders effort from guitarist / vocalist Kelley Deal - of course Kim Deal's younger sister. Never got to see The Breeders but I saw The KD6K as some would call them a year after this CD hit the streets. Tracks that make this disc (at least) a should-have are "How About Hero", the low-key "Sugar", "Head Of The Cult", the beautifully done "Nice" and "Marooned". Best described as '90's indie alternative. Recommended for fans of Dinosaur Jr., Afghan Whigs and Mudhoney.

I have always loved Kim Deal and always will, but my god to finally hear this album; i was so excited. The album has the charm and crazyness of kim with a kind off freshness. There voices are identical so it sounds like kim, the songs are very catchy and out of the two 6000 albums this is my favorite one. Much rawer then boom boom. Alot me experimental and fun with great songs. I love this album so much stand out track "sugar" its my new favorite song. If you like the Breeders or kim deal you will love this. I give is 6 stars.

I bought this for my sister but I really enjoyed it before I handed it over. Just as good as your favorite Breeders tracks. If you like Last Splash, check it out.