From now until January 13, I'll be featuring my favourite tracks of 2008, some of which have already appeared in Click Hear throughout the year, some of which haven't.
Despite releasing their long, long, long-awaited fourth album in 2008, it was still a pretty quiet year for the Breeders. Normally when a band as influential and celebrated release their first album in six years, it results in endless promotion, but thanks to its low-key vibe and overwhelming subtlety, Mountain Battles was the antithesis to the frenzy that came with 1993's breakthrough, Last Splash.
Lacking the zip-filled and attention-grabbing singles such as "Cannonball" and "Divine Hammer" from 15 years ago, or even "Tip City," which their alter ego side-project the Amps gave us 13 years ago, it felt as though the Deal sisters were interested in simply flying beneath the radar. And for me, that was completely fine. Though it wasn't the effort I had hoped for, Mountain Battles satisfied in its own way, mostly through this unassuming standout.
At first, "Night of Joy" seems like it doesn't deserve the accolade of being a "track of the year." It's bashful, quiet and asks nothing of the listener. It's like that shy kid in junior high who never spoke and always kept to him/herself; but when you finally introduced yourself you discovered they're not only fascinating but also very cool - just the right kind of company to keep amidst the flurry of peer pressure and bullying that occurs at such a formative stage.
The Breeders "Night of Joy"
The Breeders "Night of Joy" (live at the Phoenix in Toronto)
Despite releasing their long, long, long-awaited fourth album in 2008, it was still a pretty quiet year for the Breeders. Normally when a band as influential and celebrated release their first album in six years, it results in endless promotion, but thanks to its low-key vibe and overwhelming subtlety, Mountain Battles was the antithesis to the frenzy that came with 1993's breakthrough, Last Splash.
Lacking the zip-filled and attention-grabbing singles such as "Cannonball" and "Divine Hammer" from 15 years ago, or even "Tip City," which their alter ego side-project the Amps gave us 13 years ago, it felt as though the Deal sisters were interested in simply flying beneath the radar. And for me, that was completely fine. Though it wasn't the effort I had hoped for, Mountain Battles satisfied in its own way, mostly through this unassuming standout.
At first, "Night of Joy" seems like it doesn't deserve the accolade of being a "track of the year." It's bashful, quiet and asks nothing of the listener. It's like that shy kid in junior high who never spoke and always kept to him/herself; but when you finally introduced yourself you discovered they're not only fascinating but also very cool - just the right kind of company to keep amidst the flurry of peer pressure and bullying that occurs at such a formative stage.
The Breeders "Night of Joy"
The Breeders "Night of Joy" (live at the Phoenix in Toronto)