If You've Got A Bell, Then Ring It: A Review Of The New Superchunk Record, Songs In The Key Of Yikes

The consistency of Superchunk is like death or taxes. But in a good way. The band, now in its fourth decade by my estimation, is back with a new record and a new drummer. Songs in the Key of Yikes, out on Friday via Merge, serves up the sort of agitated-and-affirmative indie this quartet has volleyed against the mainstream for years. And it's more graciously appreciated in these dark days than ever before.

While Mac McCaughan wails "No hope, no hope" in the song of the same name, there's a Springsteen-y hook clanging away from Jim Wilbur's guitar that says maybe there is. As always, the band straddles that line between a kind of disgruntled proto-punk and an almost opitimistic sense of the possibilities of rock-and-roll thanks to their DIY past. Heck, they're still DIY, right? Opener "Is It Making You Feel Something" churns and churns until a bridge serves up an ascending chord change that's reminiscent of the best 'Chunk numbers of the last few dozen years. "Bruised Lung", another one here that roars, is a gem sharpened by contributions by Rosali Middleman (Rosali). Elsewhere, the sly "Care Less", featuring vocals from Betsy Wright, drummer Laura King's band-mate in Bat Fangs, cranks atop a Ramones-ish hook, while the ruminative "Cue" finds a sweeter spot thanks to vocal contributions from Bella Quinlan and Holly Thomas of Quivers.

So many of these song titles are dark as hell -- heck, one of the bangers here is "Everybody Dies" for goodness' sake! -- but, as always, Superchunk have this hopefulness that they can't ever quite hide. The guitar chords crunch away, the rhythm section of the Lauras -- Ballance on bass, King on drums -- keeps things bouncing along, and Mac, full of the flame of youth in his voice even as he nears 60 (like long-time listeners like yours truly), sings -- nay, implores -- as if his life depends on it. Songs in the Key of Yikes is, despite the Stevie Wonder-play of the title, a record rooted in the hard rock of the past. There's something resilient about this band, and while they've served up more complexity in the past, when they punch hard, they still command attention with a straightforward rock-and-roll attack that's all the best things about American indie turned up to 11. The world's falling apart, yeah, but Superchunk are still raging against the darkness. Thank God for them, really.

Songs in the Key of Yikes by Superchunk is out this week on Merge.

[Photo: Alex Cox]