Superchunk Sings For Shutting Up

Back in the day, Superchunk were known for creating their own raw brand of indie rock, defined by ragged guitar riffs and rock-out chords that said "Hey, look at us, we're a cool indie rock band. We have no need for fancy production or diverse instrumentation!" And it was good.

But that was about ten years ago, and things have changed. Maybe it has something to do with the fact that Merge, the label the band formed back in the early O90s to market their music, has recently moved from Chapel Hill to its new digs in downtown Durham.

Perhaps the tobacco fumes wafting through the city have tamed the band's twitches--Here's to Shutting Up's best moments come when the guitars take a back seat and lead singer Mac McCaughan's sweet shy-boy falsetto floats above the cello and violin, as on the album's opener, "Late-Century Dream."

Another highlight comes with the pedal-steel cameo on "Phone Sex," which creates a nice country groove that sounds a little like Mojave 3 with a smile. Don't be deceived by this new softer sound--Superchunk still rock out, but the snags are smoothed away by a more polished production style than on their previous albums. It seems the band has taken the album's title to heart, embracing the subtle bliss of silence, even if only for a few moments at a time.

--By Kelly McVicker