Never one to shy away from a direct message, Bob Mould has spent the last 41 years holding a mirror to society and standing up against injustice.
Following on from his unexpected foray into upbeat ‘happy’ songs on the 2019 album ‘Sunshine Rock’, it’s good to hear him return to angst-ridden lyrics, set to the blistering sonic attack of THAT trademark guitar sound.
Written at the same time, but deemed “too heavy” for that project, now feels like the perfect time to release it.
“‘(It’s) a tale of two times,” says Mould. “The parallels between 1984 and 2020 are a bit scary for me: telegenic, charismatic leaders, praised and propped up by extreme Evangelicals, either ignoring an epidemic (HIV/AIDS) or being outright deceitful about a pandemic (COVID-19).”
The world needs this song right now. It’s particularly fitting that someone with a close association to Minneapolis should be voicing the frustrations of many in these troubled times.
Watch the video here and absorb the lyrics. ‘American Crisis’ might well become THE protest song for these times. I can think of no better way of delivering the message than this singular use of melody and rage.
