The Breeders
Title TK
Elektra
It's been nine years since twin sisters Kim and Kelley Deal rose to fame with The Breeders's sophomore record, Last Splash and its alternative staple single, "Cannonball." After Kelley's widely publicized heroin addiction left the band in turmoil, The Breeders seemed to drop clear off the rock radar and despite a few side projects (Kim's Amps, Kelley's Kelley Deal 6000 and her Last Hard Men project with Sebastian Bach, Jimmy Chamberlain of the Smashing Pumpkins and the Frogs's Jimmy Flemion) it was anyone's guess whether the The Breeders would ever officially re-form.
Well, along comes Title TK (journalistic jargon for title to come). Kelley is clean and sober, and, with newly acquired supporting players ex-Fear guitarist Richard Presley and bassist Mando Lopez and ex-22 Jacks drummer Jose Mendeles, it seems as though the sisters are ready to reclaim what was rightfully theirs.
Title TK is no Last Splash. Rather, it is a record that is surprisingly minimalistic; especially for those who know the band best by its in your face "Cannonball." Opening with "Little Fury," a spare drum-led, harmony laced track that utterly belies its name, Title TK vacillates from the eccentric to the more traditional pop, while never abandoning the idiosyncratic chill-out vibe initiated with track one.
Cases in point: Track three, "Off You" consists of Kim's pretty vocals over a loping bass line and a gently strummed guitar. Immediately following track three, "The She," is a mostly bass and drum driven track with the occasional fuzzed out guitar and an interplaying guitar/bass break. Track six, "Son of Three," is a more traditional pop tune of fuzzy guitar and killer melody, leading into "Put on A Side," which is little more than harmonized vocals over a monotonous, driving bassline. And finally, the album ends on the most poppy note yet -- the sing along, frenetic energy of "Huffer," with its "na na na's" and "ahhhhh" harmonies invigorating the proceedings.
While Title TK might not be exactly what is expected from the Deal sisters after all this time, it is an exquisitely crafted album of eccentric beauty. Kim and Kelley's vocals work together like, well twin sisters, over a chilled out set of minimalist masterpieces. Whatever their fancy, let's just hope they don't wait another nine years for the follow-up.
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