Decades into his career, Bob Mould is still sounding as urgent and necessary as ever. He couldn’t have planned to announce his new album, Blue Hearts, and share his new song “American Crisis” on this historic week, but the timing is pinpoint. About the new track, he says:
“‘American Crisis’ is a tale of two times; Past Time and Present Time. 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).”
Not mentioned in the above quote is the pandemic of racism that still breathes in the modern world, but Mould’s song is still easily applicable. Through “American Crisis” he yells and chants about a world where people are suffering in the streets and the people responsible are doing nothing to help. “American Crisis” certainly captures the furious and frenetic energy that has engulfed the world in the last week, and with his long-honed ear for sonics, Mould ensures that it slashes and burns in consistently thrilling ways.
You can stream “American Crisis” below, but if you buy it all proceeds will go to OutFront Minnesota and Black Visions Collective.
Bob Mould’s new album Blue Hearts comes out on September 25 via Merge. You can follow him on Facebook and Twitter.
