Throwing Muses – ‘Purgatory / Paradise’ Out Now via The Friday Project
Throwing Muses return with their first new material in a decade, the epic 32 track Purgatory / Paradise.
Eschewing traditional methods the Alt Rock pioneers have opted to release the new album as a book, yes a book. Visionary and forward thinking as ever this is actually the second time that Muses front woman Kristin Hersh has brought out a book as an album – her last solo album ‘Crooked’ was also released by Harper Collins imprint The Friday Project.
It makes perfect sense actually. Hersh is used to having her music bound in sumptuous V23 designed art work for 4ad records, but since she is no longer on the label she seeks alternative means to getting the music out into the world. What initially seems curious is totally logical, after all a hard back book is just a more practical way to showcase album art & lyrics ( and in this case essays about each track ) than a flimsy booklet to accompany the cd – you also get digital content with the whole album on mp3 and an album commentary from Hersh & drummer David Narcizo.
Unlike their contemporaries Pixies who are currently releasing the worst music of their entire career buoyed along by reunion cheques, Throwing Muses are now entirely fan funded and have responded by recording a work of art as thank you to those people actually paying for the bands studio time.
Purgatory / Paradise is 32 tracks long and clocks in at over an hour. Although undeniably epic it is never overwhelming, instead certain songs are “fractured or shattered” appearing more than once in different incarnations. Often a track will be concise, clocking in around the two minute mark, yet the songs that go beyond that are perhaps the strongest.
‘Sunray Venus’ is a lean, taut, muscular contender for single of the year that soars along with Kristin’s passionate vocal propelled by searing guitar and THAT rhythm section of David Narcizo & Bernard Georges ‘That’s some disease you got there, a lousy friend’ sneers Kristin at the half way point with typical intense delivery.
Throwing Muses; Sunray Venus
‘Film’ ‘Lazy Eye’ and ‘Slippershell’ offer up similar dizzying treats, whilst ‘Milan’ feels like a sibling for ‘Pearl’ from the band’s ‘Red Heaven’ album, a beautiful ballad that suddenly grows a pair.
Maybe Throwing Muses could have presented the splintered songs as whole tracks but you have to admire that, with no record label telling them what to do the band have allowed the record to breathe & given the fans exactly what they want. Nobody who contributed to the recording process could pick fault with what ranks amongst Throwing Muses best albums to date and even the casual fans will have much to enjoy with this record, being bludgeoned by beauty is a great experience. 8.5/10
Jamie Gambino