In 2020, Bob Mould’s plans were dashed. He planned on touring the blistering, relentless Blue Hearts, a primal scream of a record as close as he has gotten to the sound of his seminal work in Hüsker Dü. Instead, he couldn’t tour for two years, stuck on Zoom calls rather than taking his music to clubs and theaters. Five years later, Mould has finally returned with a full band album on the heels of a couple of rounds of solo electric shows, and Here We Go Crazy provides what fans have come to expect–catchy songs with dark lyrics that let in just enough light.
Like Superchunk‘s What a Time to Be Alive, Blue Hearts was a State of the Union written with fire. Similar to how that band’s follow-up, Wild Loneliness, was a companion piece dealing primarily with the “what now?” after the 2020 election, Here We Go Crazy could be viewed as a companion piece to Blue Hearts, with Mould returning to say “what the fuck?” instead of “what now?”
The title track’s music is aligned with Mould’s 2010s solo records, but the lyrics have a palpable weariness. “Neandrathal” is a Sugar-fueled rager with provocative lyrics. “Hard to Get” is exhilarating, delivering that rush that can only come from Mould and his bandmates Jason Narducy and Jon Wurster. They have been his collaborators for the entire run of this resurgence, and their seemingly effortless chemistry elevates these songs even further.
One of Mould’s greatest gifts as a vocalist is that his voice always makes you feel everything he’s feeling. His directness as a lyricist has left me energized to fight another day (Silver Age highlight “Keep Believing”), but has also forced me to pull over to wipe away tears (the plain-spoken desperation of “Very Temporary” on District Line).
Mould contributes another tearjerker to the canon in “Lost or Stolen”, a heartbreaking song that ends on the haunting line, “Everything I thought was lost / It was stolen.” It’s one of his most affecting vocal performances on the record. “When Your Heart Is Broken” debuted during the solo electric shows, and appears here as a power pop nugget that disguises its anger. “Sharp Little Pieces” explores how anger can keep us going, and is one of the heaviest musical tracks.
However, as any Mould fan knows, he can’t help but rally, which has made him so treasured by his faithful. “You Need to Shine” tentatively steps toward optimism by examining the good happening around us in our daily lives. “Thread So Thin” is an impassioned plea to keep fighting.
“By Your Side” ends the record beautifully. After a contemplative start, it builds to a big finish, with Mould’s lyrics focusing on what matters most even as the world collapses–being with the people we love. He delivers another simple, but profound declaration: “If the world is going down in flames, I want to be by your side”. Societal collapse can’t stop us from loving who we love. Our delight in others can’t be contained; if we go down, we go down loving and fighting. It’s as beautiful a final thought as Mould has ever left us.
It can become easy to take artists like Bob Mould for granted. He returns every few years with another stellar set of songs that are, in the best possible way, just what was expected. But that would be a mistake, especially on Here We Go Crazy. With many of us trying hard to find our bearings and the energy to take up another four year fight, Mould delivers a clear-eyed, but not despairing, song cycle that might help you get through the next four years. He can’t help but be a true believer, even when everything seems so wrong.