ARTS

Living with Superchunk

by Lauren Viera

There's comfort in the thought that some old standards never change. Superchunk, as torchbearers for the indie scene their own Merge Records helped to define, are one such band to rely on for consistency within the pop-rock front, not to mention that adorable Chapel Hill twang singer Mac McCaughan knows so well. Indoor Living is no exception to the rule: packed with the typical hyper-Chunk riffs and some new experimentation with rhythms and boxy instrumentation, the album delivers two years' worth of the band's recording absence with just enough nostalgia for the old albums, er, days.

Unlike 1995's Here's Where the Strings Come In, which bounced the listener into a frenzy from the first beat, Indoor Living  eases into itself, methodically, song by song. "Unbelievable Things" runs a mellow rhythm with quiet commentary that the title suggests, stealthily working its way into the listener's head through an infectious chorus line, verses wonderfully winding around each other by the song's end. Superchunk CD Cover

"Watery Hands," the first single, is a safe, predictable addition to the catalog, but doesn't necessarily make the album. True, it's got the chiming guitars, the stereotypical left-hanging-in-the-air changes and a catchiness like no other, but its subject matter of a rendezvous on the summer lake pales in comparison to that of its contemporaries.

"Every Single Instinct," as a contrast, is the true ballad of the album: slow and pretty, lengthening McCaughan's voice to its highest, quietist whines. It's during songs like this one that the singer's southern influences shine through, sueding an easy pseudo-country harmony with gentle lyrics. This, from a band who - one track previous - screeched with out-of-control energy on "Nu Bruises."

Despite its variance, the album flows well from song to Chunk-y song, but the added emphasis on acoustic guitars (as in "Watery Hands") makes for a more personal, individual listening experience as opposed to the raw, live sound the band usually captures on record. The latter still applies, though, and songs like "The Popular Music" manage to stir up a hyper rage with triumphant success.

In addition to Superchunk's ability to masterfully re-work their own style, they have managed to create the perfect pop song: "Martinis on the Roof." Saving the best for last, this final track toys with the band's new-found love of the vibraphone, successfully blending it with irresistible "doo-do-doo"s and that all too familiar anecdote of having a little too much to drink and thinking a little too hard about your crush in the corner. But who could sing it better than Superchunk, who weave everyday life - indoor living, if you will - into something to sing about.

Underneath it all, Indoor Living stays true to what would be expected from an indie band with such a long-running success and well-established sound. It aims for a point and makes it, stripped-down and honestly, as their reputation would have them do. Superchunk have resurfaced with the old favorites you've never heard before.

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Copyright © 1997, The Oberlin Review.
Volume 126, Number 1, September 5, 1997

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