Album Reviews

As bassist for The Pixies, Kim Deal became an indie-rock icon, one of the few prominent women in what was (and largely remains in many ways) a boys' club. With a few exceptions (mostly notably the single "Gigantic"), she wasn't given room to showcase her own material, which led to The Breeders—who, as it turned out, made a bigger, albeit brief, mainstream splash in 1993, thanks to the smash single "Cannonball."

Given the success of the Pixies reunion in recent years, it's little surprise that a Breeders reunion followed. Mountain Battles is the first album in six years, reuniting Kim with her sister Kelley, along with newer members Mando Lopez and Jose Mendeles. There's very little of the propulsive pop that pushed The Breeders into the public consciousness; instead, Kim Deal sounds tranquilized as she leads the band through placid, psychedelic numbers like the title track, "We're Gonna Rise" and "Spark." It's not a new direction for the band, but it's debatable whether it was ever the right direction. And while the eclecticism is appreciated, the cigarette-voiced Deal sisters aren't the best vehicle for the lovely Spanish ballad "Regalame Esta Noche."

Mountain Battles recovers from its lackluster start once the band decides it's okay to rock out a little bit, and highlights like "German Studies" and "It's The Love" ride on propulsive melodies and rumbling bass lines. The cracked country harmonies of "Here No More" prove that Deal and The Breeders don't have to be peppy to be effective, but, at least this time around, that's the exception rather than the rule.



—Adam McKibbin
04.10.08