STACK #232 February 2024

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MUSIC FEATURE

SLEATER-KINNEY’S SEARCH FOR SALVATION

C ompleted in the wake of a car crash that claimed the lives of Carrie Brownstein’s mother and stepfather while they were holidaying in Italy, Little Rope is coloured by her grief. She’s since acknowledged, ”Finishing the record was basically my way of praying every day.” And since Brownstein couldn’t really find the strength to sing, Corin Tucker – the only other remaining member of Sleater-Kinney – handles the lion’s share of vocals throughout. During Say it Like You Mean It , Tucker’s gritty vocal delivery – tremulous and sometimes cracking with emotion – channels the pain and anguish of the bereaved bandmate she’s played alongside for three decades now. ”Dress yourself in clothes you love/ For a world you hate” – although Dress Yourself was written prior to the tragic accident, Brownstein has said, ”It was like I’d gifted the song to myself beforehand”. Trademark flashes of angular guitar

abound throughout, and Sleater-Kinney lean into the darkness on this one. ”The thing you fear the most will hunt you down” – Hunt You Down is underscored by spooky synth, and the descending-chord skeleton of Six Mistakes sounds ominous. Crusaders – a song for queer youth who fear the future they will inherit – addresses ”the day-to-day horror of having rights be reversed”. Then, echoing riffs invade closer Untidy Creatures, which asks, ”Could you love me if I was broken?” Cloaked in loss, Little Rope embraces the messiness of life while serving as a reminder that time spent with those we hold dear is limited. Bryget Chrisfield

Little Rope by Sleater-Kinney is out now via Loma Vista.

GRINNING EYES, WINNING EARS: THE SMILE DROP SECOND LP

Wall of Eyes by The Smile is out now via XL Recordings.

C ome ye music nerds and sink your incisors into this glorious collection of strings, rhythms, haunting solos, and poetry; The Smile’s new album delivers the most sensational-sounding, organised mess. Wall of Eyes is the result of three genius’s labour of love. You know it’s above you, you don’t really understand what’s happening, but gee whiz – you want to be a part of it. This is the second album from the intriguing trio, comprised of Radiohead members Thom Yorke and Jonny Greenwood, plus drummer Tom Skinner. Their debut Album A Light for Attracting Attention held a more deliberate feel; whilst brilliant in its own right, it was more polished and strategically put together. By contrast, Wall of Eyes has a freewheeling feel to it, leaving the listener wondering if they’ve just casually strolled into a jam session.

But if you’re thinking it’s a joyous come together, we encourage you to remember this is Greenwood and Yorke, a pair so musically fluent in misery that it would be almost devastating if they were to master another language.

Opener and title track Wall of Eyes is bleak, but not to be confused with weary. It’s a complex

and new sound for the band, as they let the listener know right off the bat that this album is going to be a little different. Under Our Pillows smashes you in the face with a sound that’s akin to prog-rock, loose and creative. Yet the following track Friend of a Friend

is fragile, stripped and exposed. It’s quintessential Thom, and for Radiohead fans, it’s like coming home. And while there’s only eight tracks on the album, each is a substantial length, so there’s no sense of feeling short-changed. This is the album you want your guests to know you own. This is music clout. Trista McConville

28 FEBRUARY 2024

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