Grade: A-
When Bob Mould released his 1998 effort "The Last Dog and Pony Show," he billed it as a point of departure from his days as a loud alt-rock guitarist. Four years later, he has delivered on his promise.
Initially listening to "Modulate," Bob Mould's new album, avid fans may argue that Mould has spent the last four years listening to a lot of Stereolab, Radiohead and Depeche Mode. Whatever his influences, Mould has produced an innovative album once again.
While keeping his power-pop guitar sensibility on select tracks, the former Husker Du and Sugar front man has not created a new alt-rock album - but he may have redefined alt-rock instead.
Mould opens his new album with a pair of unique, looped-up synth tunes that contain shadows of Mould's characteristic melodies and incisive lyrics. "180 Rain," and "Sunset Safety Glass," are drenched in synth and blended with Mould's voice, creating a juxtaposition that will immediately surprise longtime fans.
Since his days as a guitarist for Husker Du, Bob Mould has been pushing music in new directions and inspiring those who followed. In the 1980s, Husker Du redefined post-punk music and inspired the grunge movement of the early 1990s.
However, while Nirvana, Pearl Jam, and Soundgarden were breaking, Husker Du had long since broken apart and Mould was recording an acoustic-driven solo album, "Workbook," his first of five eponymous solo releases.
Mould's status as a solo artist has remained unchanged, even when he assembled his second band, Sugar, in 1992. Always Mould's band, Sugar released "Copper Blue," a tapestry of distortion and power-pop that incorporated synthesizers in the periphery and hinted at what direction his creativity might take.
Through loud walls of distortion, "Copper Blue," and Sugar's second release, "Beaster," contained samples, processing and keyboard work that were not particularly heralded as a sign of things to come a decade later.
What makes "Modulate" so interesting is to hear how far Mould has come. Here, Mould has managed to fuse techno, trance, and power-pop without losing himself or having to re-invent himself in much the same way as R.E.M. or (gasp) Madonna.
Mould, the post-punk icon who drew influence from guitarist Richard Thompson and in turn, influenced Nirvana, has submerged himself in dots and loops which both shroud and accompany his trademark wall of distortion and anger, not subduing him or derailing him but accentuating his style.
"Homecoming Parade," "Lost Zoloft," and "Without?" could pass for mid-1980s Husker Du songs, if not for the drum machine. "Semper Fi," and "The Receipt," are angry-lyric-yet-happy-tuned cuts that have been Mould's specialty for years. The standout track is "Soundonsound," the first single, which could well be a lost Sugar track.
Despite the throwbacks, "Modulate" thrusts Mould's creativity forward. "Modulate" is not typical Mould or typical anything. That's what makes it so appealing.
In a sea of cloned pop bands, top 40 jangles and musicians who need to reinvent themselves to resist becoming obsolete, Mould has once again made the musical statement that he is anything but ordinary and anything but typical of current trends.
Avid fans of Mould's musical evolution must hit the ground running with this disc, as it is jarring how much Mould has grown since hinting that his loud rock days are over with 1998's "The Last Dog and Pony Show."
New listeners will hear something unusual but catchy in this, the first of three albums from Bob Mould in 2002. As Mould's career continues its third decade, in his words, "everything will modulate."
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