There’s a time in every indie rock fan’s life when they have to decide how much Superchunk they need. The Mac McCaughan-fronted North Carolinans have been a staple now for 20-plus-years, releasing nine records since 1990 – every one brimming with enthusiasm and not one of them bad. I Hate Music makes it 10.
Despite a nine-year silence while launching the careers of other bands via their own label, Merge (ever heard of Arcade Fire?), the question of what a mature-sounding Superchunk record would sound like wasn’t answered by 2010’s Majesty Shredding. Neither is it answered here.
I Hate Music forgoes the elusive stylistic breakthrough that some predicted might occur upon the band’s return. Instead, it’s another highly contagious slice of ‘90s indie rock.
Wonderfully, the nuances that made Superchunk special are still in abundance. It might be possible to label it dispensable overkill or a band still milking their lengthy career, but it’s very hard to say those things when “Out Of The Sun’s” clever and unexpected melodic shifts are stuck firmly in your head.
It’s an admirably fun and passionate record, one equally balanced by rigour and quality. Superchunk might not be doing anything new, but they’re also smart enough to avoid tainting their borderline flawless career.
It’s funny that I Hate Music sounds in actual fact more like a huge ‘thank you’ to music, but, after all, they were never a po-faced band. It turns out the question, “how much Superchunk do I need in my life?”, is the same as asking, “how much fun do I want to have?”
