The Center Won't Hold - Sleater-Kinney: Review
are an American indie rock band who released a number of critically acclaimed records in the late 90's into the mid 2000's highlighted by 1997's Dig Me Out and 2005's The Woods. After breaking up after the release of the latter album the band took ten years before reuniting and releasing a universally acclaimed comeback album No Cities To Love in 2015. The band started 2019 off with the announcement that St. Vincent had produced this record in its entirety, as well as facing the departure of their long time drummer from the band after the recording of the record was already completed.
Review By Lavender:
Sleater-Kinney really need no introduction, their low-fi rock of the 90's and blistering indie records in the 2000'a left enough of a legacy for the band alone. On top of these their 2015 comeback record No Cities To Love really surprised me with its short punchy songs full of a youthful energy I didn't predict from the band. After some inconsistent singles from this album and the departure of the groups longtime drummer I had a lot of questions about the album, and while my worst fears clearly weren't met the album fails to blow me away.
The singles for this record ran the gambit from disappointing to excellent starting at the worse end with The Future Is Here. There is absolutely no energy to this song whatsoever and even though the performances are serviceable this track is a far cry for what I am used to hearing from the group. Hurry On Home was the lead single and I think it's bearable, but really nothing special. There is not a single thing catchy about the track but the group is clearly so comfortable jamming together that it is easy to listen to while on.
The two better singles from the record painted a different picture for the album. Can I Go On is a song I didn't like that much at first but has grown on me a lot. The bright girlish vocals and keys make it sound like a HAIM track but the hook is so catchy and the song is so bright and bubbly that nearly every part of it sticks with me. The single that was by far my favorite and is the one you'll see on my year end list is the title track and opening song The Center Won't Hold. The track has some booming metallic drums that hang in the background flanking some intimate and dark vocals with a dramatic swell into one of the best and punchiest hooks on the entire record.
This same dark energy appears on Reach Out which pairs an atmospheric tone with effortlessly cool and fuzzy guitar riffs that pair very nicely and make for one of the catchier and more memorable songs here. Bad Dance is a track I like a lot with some wild and zany lead vocals full of this haunting personality. The distant shouted bridge is awesome and everything combines for a great catchy rock tune. On the flip side of this the closing track Broken is a great piano ballad with some emotional singing and a really solid tune at its core that I think was a smart placement for the end of the album. The final track I really enjoyed was LOVE which features a dreamy hook but the real highlight is the great instrumental which pairs a classic Sleater-Kinney sound of tight guitar riffing and bouncy drums both front and center in the mix.
Much like the singles there are some inconsistencies in the tracklist. RUINS is the only time that the darker and more atmospheric aesthetic doesn't pay off as it sounds like a novelty Halloween song with weird wiggly synths and completely unnecessary distortion. Restless is a super boring and way over-produced track that exemplifies what I was worried about with inviting St. Vincent on production. Thankfully it's the only track here that I feel suffers in this way and adding some of the records cheaper lyrics on top were the nail in the coffin for the track. The final track that fell short for me here was The Dog/The Body which has a refrain I really don't like in its "Baby Baby I Don't Mind" hook. Despite some decent musical elements I think they could have explored the lyrical themes better because it seems like something cool but they sell it short.
Sleater-Kinney have already achieved legend status in indie and rock music but that didn't come without a few misses in their ever growing discography. While this isn't the flat out weakest record of their career it is a step in the wrong direction from their comeback record. There are moments here that flash what make them special but as a whole this sounds like a record that could come from just about any band/producer duo in music rather than the star studded collaboration that it is. 5.5/10
