Bob Mould Releasing Life And Times

Bob Mould is arguably one of the most influential musicians of the alternative rock era, first for his early work with post-punk rabble-rousers Husker Du, followed by the college-rock-defining pop of Sugar and finally for his solo albums, notably his first, Workbook, which quieted Mould’s previous ire to reveal his fine songwriting in a new light and allowed an introspective glimpse into the inner workings of an evolving artist.

 2009 marks the 20^th anniversary of the release of Workbook, and also the release of Bob Mould’s latest solo work, Life and Times, set for an April 7^th street date.  Produced and mixed by Mould in his new hometown of Washington D.C, the album is filled with Mould’s experiences in relation to friends, lovers, the world at large and himself.  It is honest and personal, his voice breaking on “Bad Blood Better,” the electronic twitches of earlier work reappearing under signature blazing guitars on”MM17.”  Mould appraises the perils of easy self-distraction on “Wasted World” and is not afraid to get explicit on “Argos.”  The emotional and musical centerpiece of the record, “I’m Sorry Baby, But You Can’t Stand In My Light Anymore,” is an unflinching look at the sorrow and regret that comes at the end of love.

A follow up to 2008’s District Line, which Stephen Thomas Erlewine at All Music Guide called “a consolidation of Mould’s considerable strengths, an album that showcases his gifts as a writer and record-maker, one that touches upon almost every phase of his career, yet it’s filtered through a maturity that feels vital because of its unadorned honesty,” Bob Mould’s new release highlights an artist completing a circle decades in the making, his talent undiminished, his perspective revitalized.