Search - Bob Mould :: Modulate

His best since "Beaster"

Animal | London | 08/07/2005

(4 out of 5 stars)

"No disrespect to the folk who have given this album negative reviews - everyone's entitled to their opinion, after all - but I find the blinkered indie purism displayed by some of the more conservative elements of Mould's fanbase a tad puzzling, to say the least. As the previous reviewer notes, Mould's career has for the most part been distinguished by constant re-evaluation, and his best music has usually been produced whilst under the influence of a powerful drive to evolve artistically.



For me, "Modulate" is his best album in ages, as his last three ("The Last Dog & Pony Show", "Bob Mould", and Sugar's "File Under Easy Listening" - the last of which we can hold responsible for the unfortunate rise to fame of Dave Grohl's Foo Fighters) trod water and repeated an increasingly worn-out formula with diminishing returns. Not only have Mould's experiments with electronic instrumentation given his songwriting a new context in which to flourish, the songs themselves are his strongest in years - particular standouts being "The Receipt", "Sound on Sound", "Come On Strong", "Trade" and "Quasar". Surely artistic stagnation, not electronica, is the real enemy for any artist of Mould's calibre.



I can see no reason why Huskers / Sugar fans who listen to "Modulate" with an open mind can't find plenty to enjoy here.

Oh, and one more question for those voyeurs who enjoy speculating about band politics - are "The Receipt"'s lyrics about Grant Hart or what?"

Bob goes off on a tangent

Kiff | Albuquerque, NM | 05/07/2006

(4 out of 5 stars)

"OK, I admit I was expecting another of Mould's usual incredible outings of bracing, guitar-driven power-pop, and I admit that I miss that traditional post-Husker Du sound on this outing. However, as a longtime fan of everything Bob, "Modulate" (a very apt name, by the way) does have its merits. Miles Davis was equally experimental at many points in his career.

Mould has always been one to try a new sound, a new way of doing things. Whoever would have expected Husker Du to develop into the incredibly tight, melodic, hyperdrive rock unit they eventually became, after listening to "Land Speed Record"?!?

Although I don't like everything on "Modulate" by any means, I am willing to consider it another "Land Speed Record", another beginning, an offshoot in an entirely new direction. Hell, "Workbook" was pretty strange after listening to Husker Du for all those years, but I loved it. This album is not up to the same level as "Workbook", but it certainly isn't terrible, either. It's an experiment with new instruments and production methods, and I doubt very much that it will define a "new Bob Mould" that older fans will reject. I certainly am not expecting him to turn into New Order, Bjork, or Erasure (some of the most prominent influences on this album). Give the man a chance. He's been playing the same kind of guitar rock for decades now. He deserves a chance to try something else for a change. Maybe it didn't work out the way he intended, but it's good for a listen anyhow."

Mr. Guitar challenges his fans with an album from left field

Sal Nudo | Champaign, Illinois | 08/14/2007

(3 out of 5 stars)

""Departure" is a common word to use when describing an artist who severely strays from his or her normal sound. It's also a somewhat overused term. In the case of Bob Mould's "Modulate" CD, however, the word departure is almost an understatement. This CD is nearly as different from 1992's Copper Blue as Kylie Minogue is to Guns n' Roses. (OK, perhaps that's an exaggeration; still, it is quite different from Mould's normal fare.)



"180 Rain" leads off "Modulate," a tune sprinkled with what I would label electronic fairy dust. Mould's voice is in good form -- when he's using his natural pipes. Elsewhere, "Sunset Safety Glass" comes across as generic club music, though Mould deserves credit for the solid job he did on the rest of the album's dancelike tracks. "Quasar," for instance, is a hip-sounding dance-club number that surprisingly works, and it boasts a catchy refrain that could get anyone singing.



I usually loathe it when music reviewers use the word "filler" (another overused term) to describe what they hear on CDs. Nonetheless, I can only describe several of the interludes between actual songs on this CD as filler, empty bridges of nothingness that stagnate "Modulate" a tad.



Amid the occasional lightweight noises are several classic Bob Mould moments in updated form. "Semper Fi" contains a cool chunky guitar sound behind high-pitched synth and Mould's equally high-pitched, somewhat strained voice. "Lost Zoloft" is also good stuff, a mellow, dance-worthy tune with relaxed vocals and interesting lyrics. "Slay/Sway" is classic Bob Mould, the third best song on "Modulate," and would have fit right in with the best of Sugar's work. In fact, "Slay/Sway" reminds me of some of the material from File Under: Easy Listening. Besting "Slay/Sway" is "The Receipt," which, to purposely sound like a broken record, is classic Bob Mould/Sugar work. Unfortunately, "The Receipt" is all too short at just over two minutes, before it dissolves into a whirl of synthesizer. The best tune on "Modulate" is "Comeonstrong," which boasts an ultra-catchy riff, smooth-sounding vocals and real rock `n' roll drumming.



After putting it away for months on end and coming back to it, "Modulate" is not nearly as bad (or even as much of a departure) as I initially thought. There are some great rock tracks on this CD; you just have to sift through the more ethereal stuff to get to them. My final analysis: Mould deserves a three-and-a-half star rating for "Modulate," and five solid stars for challenging his fans to the fullest.



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