Bob Mould's 2008 album District Line is a curious one. No more so than on opener Stupid Now, which can't decide between being a dance song, or to rock, and ultimately does neither. Mould at times sounds like he can barely sing on this, and also the Britpop strum of Again and Again, his voice cracking under the strain of reaching the notes, and its not clear whether this is deliberate or not. Better are the Sugar-y rockers Who Needs To Dream? and Return to Dust.
Old Highs, New Lows is another dodgy dance/rock hybrid, while Shelter Me goes the whole 'dad-dance' hog. He saves the best for last with the reflective, REM channeling strum of Walls In Time, accompanied by Amy Domingues' fine cello part. This track was apparently written around the time of 1989's Workbook. It's a shame there aren't more like it here as it suits him down to the ground and is the strongest track on an uneven album.
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