Kim Deal’s first proper solo album was a long time in the making. She started recording Nobody Loves You More in 2011 when she was still with The Pixies and wrapped up in 2022 when she worked with close friend (the late) Steve Albini. The record feels lived in, with a wide sonic scope and a distribution of feelings, as the years, pain, and perseverance are all present in Deal’s singing.
Starting with the most surprising song on the album, the title track brings in many instruments. Soft orchestrated strings and light percussion delicately start the direct love song before a considerable shift to big brass blasts in overdone Broadway-style mid-tune. The track announces Deal’s intention to lay it all out there.
The horns return around a more indie rock base for “Coast,” while “Crystal Breath” gets neon experimental with electro-fuzziness, dance beats, and synths as the buzzing late-night dance rock ramps up. While Deal’s lyrics can frequently dip into the mundane, her vocals still sound as amazing as ever. She sings with joy, disdain, and passion throughout the record, sounding as strong vocally as ever.
A perfect example is her touching ode to her mother, “Are You Mine,” as Kim sings with true affection while “Wish I Was” gets breathy in front of gorgeous backing vocals and jangly warped Americana twang. A host of old friends help on the record, including her Breeders bandmates (Mando Lopez, twin sister Kelley Deal, Jim Macpherson, Britt Walford), Raymond McGinley (Teenage Fanclub), Jack Lawrence (Raconteurs), and Savages’ Fay Milton and Ayse Hassan.
The drums and bass pump up the stomping “Disobedience” while the huge clanging “Come Running” slams off the kilter with layers of guitars. Deal dabbles in 1930s-inspired lounge-pop with “Summerland” while taking the experimental route with “Big Ben Beat,” which combines spacey squiggles, crunchy guitar, and sludge bass into interesting art rock. The album wraps up with the most straightforward rocker, the yin yang of “A Good Time Pushed,” which brings it back to her core indie rock style.
From the quirky cover photo taken by Alex Da Corte, which filters the last known picture of the artist Bas Jan Ader through Deal’s distinctive worldview, to the rainbow variety of tunes, Kim Deal remains a unique and engaging voice throughout her long-awaited solo debut, Nobody Loves You More.
