Superchunk's distinctively high-strung fuzz pop leaned into dissonance, speed, and righteous anger on their agitated, punky 2018 album What a Time to Be Alive. Twelfth studio album Wild Loneliness reverses course, exploring a wider range of instrumentation, textures, and songwriting choices without losing any of the power the band exhibits in their more explosive moments. Their signature melodic sensibility is still instantly recognizable, but instead of overdriven guitars doing the heavy lifting, acoustic guitars high in ...
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Superchunk's distinctively high-strung fuzz pop leaned into dissonance, speed, and righteous anger on their agitated, punky 2018 album What a Time to Be Alive. Twelfth studio album Wild Loneliness reverses course, exploring a wider range of instrumentation, textures, and songwriting choices without losing any of the power the band exhibits in their more explosive moments. Their signature melodic sensibility is still instantly recognizable, but instead of overdriven guitars doing the heavy lifting, acoustic guitars high in the mix are the driving force behind most of the songs. Soft piano flourishes ornament songs like "On the Floor," understated horn sections support the pushy rhythms of "Highly Suspect," and an all-out sax solo shows up in an instrumental break in the title track. Similarly subtle string arrangements appear on album-opener "City of the Dead" and "This Night," adding touches of sophistication and depth. Wild Loneliness is a canvas for this kind of approach. The chorus of "Endless Summer" features triumphant, restrained vocal harmonies from members of Teenage Fanclub, and closing track "If You're Not Dark" begins with a patient synthesizer drone that opens up into fingerpicked acoustic guitars and builds into a steady, thoughtful anthem. It's not all soft and introspective fare, though, as the band still clunks and pogos their way through the distorted "Refracting." Wild Loneliness is hardly the first time Superchunk has showed another side of their sound, though. Throughout their 30-plus-year run, the band's discography has periodically strayed from the jittery pop of their earliest songs to experiment with toned-down arrangements. The general upbeat tempos, the inclusion of at least one overtly aggressive rager, and the fact that most of the material would work just fine arranged as meat-and-potatoes rock songs all suggest that the more refined delivery is part of a larger statement. Lyrical nods to repeating cycles and changing as time goes on also play into a sense of maturation that's reflected in the album's graceful sonics. Wild Loneliness shows Superchunk still evolving and reaching for new expressions, even decades into a well-established style. The result of this envelope-pushing is one of their most nuanced and emotionally engaging albums in years, arriving at a different kind of immediacy than can be achieved with loud guitars and angsty hooks. ~ Fred Thomas, Rovi
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Add this copy of Wild Loneliness to cart. $6.40, fair condition, Sold by Service First Media rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Taylorsville, KY, UNITED STATES, published 2022 by Merge.
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Fair. Ex-Library rental. Disc(s) are professionally cleaned and may contain only light scratches that do not effect functionality. Includes disc(s), case, and artwork. May be missing booklet. Disc(s), case, and artwork may contain library/security stickers and ink writing. ARTWORK IS UNORIGINAL AND PRINTED BY LIBRARY. Case and artwork may show some wear. Case may not be an original jewel case. All disc(s) are authentic.
Add this copy of Wild Loneliness to cart. $7.75, like new condition, Sold by Streetlight_Records rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Santa Cruz, CA, UNITED STATES, published 2022 by Merge Records.
Add this copy of Wild Loneliness to cart. $11.15, new condition, Sold by BMC1701 rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Norwalk, IA, UNITED STATES, published 2022 by Merge Records.
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Superchunk. New. New in new packaging. USA Orders only! Brand New product! please allow delivery times of 3-7 business days within the USA. US orders only please.
Add this copy of Wild Loneliness to cart. $20.76, new condition, Sold by newtownvideo rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from huntingdon valley, PA, UNITED STATES, published 2022 by Merge Records.
