A music-obsessed, retired San Francisco lawyer, and author of the rock & roll memoir Jittery White Guy Music (available on Amazon)... picking a random album or song in his collection every day or so and sharing a few thoughts.
Superchunk have comfortably eased into their roles as elder statesmen of indie rock, dutifully releasing a solid new record every few years to remind us Where We Are. 2017's What A Time To Be Alive greeted the Trump I era with a furious blast of punk reviving their early sound, while 2022's Wild Loneliness seemed to breathe a sigh of Biden-era relief with some gentler jangle. Their latest, the aptly-titled Songs In The Key Of Yikes, splits the difference, at least sonically, mostly sticking to the more pop side of the pop-punk ledger; but thematically, they're reflecting the onset of Trump II with the mix of sheer horror and dreadful resignation so many of us are feeling. Tunes like "No Hope" and "Care Less" capture both sentiments--we're fucked, and we feel helpless. It could be a rough listen if not for Mac's endless supply of enthusiasm, still hitting the high notes and delivering raging hooks. And as tracks like opener "Is It Making You Feel Something" convey, we're not quite ready to completely disengage.
Even in the darkest of times, it's refreshing to have a (very) shortlist of artists who have been around for decades and still manage albums right up there with their best work.
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