Customer Reviews

Indoor Living

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

 

 

For a band that has been accused of never changing their sound (and lauded for the same), Indoor Living signals an attempt at adding depth to the Superchunk sound. The immediate difference being the addition of keyboards to the mix. The keyboards add warmth and fuzz to a great sounding album. They stand out particularly on "Marquee" adding harmony to Mac's falsetto vocals and adding scree and confusion to the "noise" break in the song. There are some laid back songs here as well as the uptempo pop they helped define. "Nu Bruises" shines as an instant standard. At the Lounge Ax show where i bought the album the crowd was already yelling requests for this brand new song. "Popular Music" is the great story of Merge and all underground labels as Mac sings: "I've got my ear to the ground and i'm listenin' for you." One of my favorites on the album is the slower "Song for Marion Brown." Mac being into the avant garde, this song details the frustration that may have befallen the relatively unknown sax player who played with John Coltrane. There is definitely a maturity in the songwriting and it is also reflected in the album production. I love many Superchunk albums but this album remains one of my favorites for that reason. I think the drum sound they got at Echo Park (Bloomington, IN) is by far the best on any of their albums. All in all one of my faves. 4 and half *'s

On their 6th album proper, Superchunk continues to mature while still holding onto much of the energy of their earliest efforts. The most "experimental" of their discs, Indoor Living includes incorporation of some audible organ parts (as opposed to the slight dabbling on "Here's Where the Strings Come In") and more toying with odd time signatures. Don't be misled by those words, though - this is still an indie rock/pop record , and accessible from the first listen. However, much like "Foolish" was a big step out that came together with earlier work on "Strings" I think this record will be more of an influence on the next record than a complete change in style. In fact, I've heard some new Superchunk songs live, and they sound much closer to the type of music on "Strings" than on this album. I'm very much looking forward to the new record.

Note that this record contains "Watery Hands", a song I consider to be one of Superchunk's best ever. If you can, though, get the "Watery Hands" single, since it has, in my opinion, a better mix of the song.

Indoor living is an amazing album. After one time through, the listener is picking up on the poppy lyrics and singing along. This album is one of the better indie releases this year, and this group from Chapel Hill shows no sign of slowing.

If you can imagine music that can heal heartbreak or emotional distress.. this is it. Not just this album, everything by this band.

If the whole album were as engaging as its first five songs, I would have considered it among the band's strongest. As it is, I think it's still worthwhile.

The song that encapsulates what Superchunk was feeling as it made the album just might be "Marquee." At this point in its career, the band was really getting away from its youthfully hyper sound and moving into new territory, and had to be wondering if the fans who loved them back in the day would come along for the ride. The noise break in "Marquee" kind of feels like the members are trying too hard, as if they were embarrassed that they weren't playing loud enough or fast enough and they threw it in for good measure. It's a good song, nonetheless, including an agreeably silly line about being unable to find a suitable rhyming word.

The album kicks off with the purposeful beat of "Unbelievable Things," a song where the band's maturity pays off. And although I'm not a big fan of the second half of the album, Superchunk saved one of its best for last with the nostalgic "Martinis On The Roof."

Coming two years after the exciting and energetic 'Here's Where the Stings Come In' 'Indoor Living' kicks off in a slower gear immediately and never really kicks back up the the level of 'Strings' or 1994's 'Foolish.'

Which is not to say that it's a bad record, just different. History has shown this is a key record in 'Chunk's transition from a scream to a whisper that would make 'Come Pick Me Up' such a GREAT record.

First the highlights: the band SOUNDS great, guitars chime when the need too and fuzz when they need to and Mac's vocals aren't buried in the middle of all the guitars and things. There is space between the instruments which makes this record breathe a little more [kind of like the difference between inhaling a dinner and relaxing and enjoying a meal.] Even on the fast and slightly noisy "Nu Bruises" you can hear all the instruments pretty clearly. The band also uses synthesizers and uses them tastefully.

Now the downside: some of the songs are only OK and a lot sound like mid period REM. "Marquee" [track three] continues the slow grind of the first side when the side really needs a kick in the behind and it sounds like a half finshed idea. The side is slightly rescued by the next track, "Watery Hands" and the afforementioned "Nu Bruises" but they slide into the slow REM-like arpeggiating again on "Every Single Instinct." And "Under Our Feet" three songs later sounds like another 'Life's Rich Pagent' era toss off. And the album ending 'Martinis on the Roof' is one of the most under-realized tracks in the 'Chunk catalog in spite of some interesting vibraphone playing in there [think the Stones "Under My Thumb".]

There are some really good songs here like opener "Unbelievable Things", the noisy "European Medicine" and the two center tracks of the album "Song for Marion Brown" and "The Popular Music" but if you're looking for good 'Chunk, I still recommend "Here's Where the Strings Come In" or "Foolish" or "No Pocky for Kitty" before exploring this one.

Superchunk is one of the most awesome bands to come around in a long time. They may be a bit obscure, but their is music is classic! This album was really superb. All their sound mixes together so well...listening to it is pure ecstacy! Words really can't categorize Superchunk. That's a really good thing.

I'm glad I bought 11 SUPERCHUNK albums. What I learned was, they shifted sound after this one. 1998 and beyond they got less powerful sounding and more, I dunno, uh, wimpy, overall. There's still the occasional song on the records after that but mostly it's a step down. Like all their albums, I believe they put their strongest songs on first and on down. I really dig the first 7 and the rest don't quite hit the mark, though they're still well done, they just don't hit the musical groove. The other 4 albums I like are: incidental music, no pocky for kitty, foolish and on the mouth. They bring some emotionality to their best songs like their first, second, fifth and sixth songs on here. This group is like the soundtrack of my life, musically, today, these years, post punk, though I still totally get it goin' again with MAU MAUS and COCKNEY REJECTS and the CLASH, just not as often as I used to with LAMA, DISCHARGE, MINOR THREAT and so on. These guys hit a strong groove for me while not gettin' the blood rushin' quite as strongly as I wanted it rushin' 80% of my music listening time back 20 and 25 years ago. chrisbct@hotmail.com

After putting out some of the best CD's of the 90's(Tossing Seeds, No Pocky), filled with great, loud, pop punk anthems, Superchunk mellow out and now put out this lame drivel. Almost as bad as the decline and fall of the (also once-mighty but now lame) Goo Goo Dolls. Is success really that important to these bands that they have to stoop to this? Go buy Tossing Seeds now and rock!!!