Record #134: Superchunk's 'Here's Where the Strings Come In'
North Carolina-based legends of indie rock Superchunk served as the archetype for DIY rock ’n’ roll bands throughout the ’90s. Don’t think I don’t know that. And don’t think I don’t know that their catalog is consistently both melodically and volumetrically satisfactory. It just so happens that 1995’s Here’s Where the Strings Come In, their fifth, is one I hadn’t checked out yet. True, it doesn’t have the same restless urgency as, say, No Pocky for Kitty, but it’s just as shining an example of smart and mature punk-pop as anything else in Superchunk’s (or more specifically, Mac McCaughan’s) catalog. It’s clean, bright and up-tempo without sacrificing dignity or balls, as punk-pop’s learning-deficient cousin pop-punk so often proves to do. Another great release from the ’Chunk. Perhaps it isn’t their best, but I’ll bet you 50 bucks you won’t find an uncharacteristically dull or shitty record from these guys.
