So, the 90s are officially back. Acid wash jeans and gaudy floral print dresses were just the beginning, but now the revival is definitely in full-swing with a new EP from Superchunk, titled Leaves in the Gutter, their first release since 2001’s acclaimed Here’s to Shutting Up.
Their absence is easily attributed to the fact that Superchunk’s Mac McCaughan and Laura Ballance have been pretty busy keeping up with their incredibly influential label Merge Records, ultimately bringing important acts such as Arcade Fire, Spoon, The Magnetic Fields, and Neutral Milk Hotel to the spotlight. It’s kind of amazing that they found the time to even think about this Superchunk release while in the midst of the label’s epic twentieth anniversary—but they’ve got their priorities straight, as the anniversary marks 20 years of Superchunk as well.
The EP mainly consists of tracks that they’ve already featured as mainstays in their live performances, and as McCaughan explained to Prefix Magazine, “We kind of felt like if we’re going to get to work on a new album we need to clear the decks of these songs first.” Upon listening, it’s very evident that these tracks are remnants of the past, in that they still embody the classic ‘Chunk feel, sounding as though they picked up right where Here’s to Shutting Up left off. Each track is a loud, cute, indie punk track, with swirling guitar and earnest lyrics obviously meant to be shouted at the top of your lungs. It’s honestly a surprising success from a band that hasn’t released anything in nearly a decade.
It opens with “Learned to Surf,” which might be the strongest track on the EP, kicking it off with buzzing guitars and uplifting, gruff vocals that sort of made me want to conquer the world. The lyrics make this song a perfect listen on a crappy day, or maybe a good contribution to a “Get Pumped” playlist on your iPod—“I can’t hold my breath anymore / Well, I stopped swimming and learned to surf.”
The second track, “Misfits & Mistakes,” will be instantly recognizable to fans of Aqua Teen Hunger Force; it was featured on an episode with Meatwad on vocals. I think it goes without saying that McCaughan’s vocals are a huge improvement to the stylings of Meatwad.
“Screw It Up” slows it down a notch, but doesn’t tone it down—the guitars are just as heavy as ever, but far more chill, a contradiction they’ve mastered that has to be heard to be understood. The last original track is “Knock Knock Knock,” with hyper, heavily saturated vocals that croon over a seriously sing-a-longable, repetitive (in a good way!) chorus.
The EP ends on a very strong note with an acoustic demo track of “Learned to Surf.” Hearing the fairly raucous opening song mellowed out in an unplugged track illustrates McCaughan’s diverse songwriting ability in that his melodic, poppy riffs sound great distorted with amps to 11, or gently strummed on an acoustic guitar.
Leaves in the Gutter is a must-listen for anyone who calls themselves a fan of indie punk rock. I happen to know for a fact that Superchunk is a huge influence on local pop-punk gods Lemuria and other bands with a similar sound (see Tin Armor), and if you consider yourself a fan of theirs or 90s rock in general and haven’t heard the ‘Chunk, it’s seriously time to get with it. You might just find your new favorite band. Oh, don’t forget the flannel. It makes for an all the more authentic experience.
