On their second LP,
Superconductor
cleans up some of the sludgier, more chaotic moments that hampered 1993's
Hit Songs for Girls
. Rather than the band's post-punk and indie inclinations resembling necessary relief from their metalesque pounding,
Bastardsong
serves up the reverse -- its sloppy indie leanings set off the pure, bombastic rock to which the band always returns, and tend to make it far more appealing by comparison. It's this sort of contrast that lends
its interest -- the record is, in some strange sort of way, a concept album, and
puts a great deal of variety and movement into its tracks, setting off a few incredibly strange constructions with brief forays into rock and metal. The record comes out sounding like a guided tour through a very, very strange place, and spotlighting this sort of oddity helps the band immensely. ~ Nitsuh Abebe