Hot on the heels of the latest album and tour by the reformed – and seemingly revitalised – Dinosaur Jr, Lou Barlow turned some of his boundless energy to his other erstwhile outfit, Sebadoh. The first fruits, in the form of the Secret EP were slipped out unannounced on-line some time ago (the title refers to its hype-less dissemination) , but now it’s getting a proper physical release ahead of their first Sebadoh album in 14 years.
Born out of difficult personal circumstances for Barlow, and in traditional Sebadoh fashion, recorded on zero budget, there’s a vitality that permeates these five tracks, and Lou’s statement that the new recordings were made out of necessity rings true: no way could you mistake these for reformation cash-in songs.
That isn’t to say nostalgia doesn’t play its part, of course. Describing them as ‘another batch of breakup songs’, Lou brings to the EP a tangible sense of loss that’s genuinely poignant. ‘Arbitrary High’ has that classic bittersweet resignation that characterises the best of both Dinosaur Jr and Sebadoh lingering around its jangling chords messed out with fuzz. The wonky country of ‘I Don’t Mind’, too, is delivered with a slacker shrug.
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So when we’re talking about ‘vintage’, we’re talking as much about vintage spirit as sound, and tough times for Lou Barlow have proven to be to the gain of the music world. Here’s looking forward to the album.
Sebadoh Online
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