Performer Notes

Personnel: Bob Mould (vocals, guitar, keyboards, percussion, programming); Amy Domingues (cello); Brendan Canty (drums).
Audio Mixer: Bob Mould.
Recording information: Blindspot, Washington DC; Granary Music.
Like a classic-rock staple that takes years of detachment to hear on its own merits, DISTRICT LINE requires some mental distancing from Bob Mould's storied past. After indulging in side project the Blowoff, the one-time H?sker D?/Sugar daddy has laid down his most polished piece of unapologetic pop, and sans the albatross of comparative context, DISTRICT is a welcomed, mature masterstroke. Years of furious punk energy have been boiled down to naked sentiment, with lovelorn lyrics audible above squalling lead guitar, thrashing acoustics, and crashing cymbals. And in fact, Mould's openness about his homosexuality lends his words a subtext that's more courageous than any hyper-speed H?sker ranting. While it might be too adult-contempo for younger fans inspired by his hardcore-icon status, those who've lived life's journey parallel to Mould for the last two decades-plus will revel in his rough-edged romanticism.

Professional Reviews

Rolling Stone (p.72) - 3.5 stars out of 5 -- "[A] focused, gripping zigzag between fury and woe, scorched rock and folk-pop distress, much like the Husker's best records -- now with a longer view."

Spin (p.98) - 4 stars out of 5 -- "[He] remains a master of controlled tension, delivering deceptively pretty tunes in an edgy voice that suggests he's headed for a meltdown."

Uncut (p.96) - 3 stars out of 5 -- "[A]longside the lush orchestration of 'Miniature Parade', the delicate folk of 'Walls In Time', lies 'Shelter Me', a vocodered stomp..."

Alternative Press (p.145) - 3.5 stars out of 5 -- "LINE finds Mould recording with not only his Fender in the foreground, but also with a full band backing him for the first time in a decade."

No Depression (pp.68-69) - "Hard-rocking tunes such as 'Stupid Now', 'Very Temporary' and 'The Silence Between Us' throb and bristle behind Mould's layered electric guitars and Fugazi drummer Brendan Canty's banging."

Kerrang (Magazine) (p.47) - "Few writers deal in regret, melancholy and quiet anger quite as convincingly as Bob Mould."

Q (Magazine) (p.108) - 3 stars out of 5 -- "Pick of the bunch is the punchy 'The Silence Between Us', a masterclass in radio-friendly rock."

Mojo (Publisher) (p.102) - 4 stars out of 5 -- "DISTRICT LINE is Mould's strongest song collection since Sugar's alt-rock paradigm, COPPER BLUE."

Paste (magazine) - 3 stars out of 5 -- "[A] mix of confessional acoustic work, tugged rockers with dazzling guitar solos, and the beautiful, spare laptop ballad 'Old Highs New Lows.'"

The Word (magazine) (p.107) - "[T]hemes of loss, anguish and dislocation remain his lyrical bedrock..."

Record Collector (magazine) (p.94) - 4 stars out of 5 -- "'Who Needs To Dream?' and lead-off single 'The Silence Between Us' recall the frantic pace and energy of Sugar's landmark COPPER BLUE album..."

Album: District Line *
#	Song Title	Time
1)	Stupid Now
2)	Who Needs to Dream
3)	Again and Again
4)	Old Highs New Lows
5)	Return to Dust
6)	Silence Between Us, The
7)	Shelter Me
8)	Very Temporary
9)	Miniature Parade
10)	Walls in Time