ALBUM REVIEW:

NOBODY LOVES YOU MORE

By Kim Deal

by Joe Vickrey

Photos by Alex Da Corte and Steve Gullick

 

As a founding member of both Pixies and The Breeders, Kim Deal has made a name for herself as one of the most authentic musicians to ever emerge from the early Alternative scene.

She managed to turn the heads of everyone in the industry last summer as images of her incorrectly holding a flamingo accompanied the unexpected first single off of what would be her first formal solo record. 

That first single, “Coast” was far from what I was expecting from the co-writer of Pixies’ smash hits “Gigantic” and “Silver,” but what a song it is. “Coast” sounds like a lighthearted lazy river ride away from foiled schemes. The song begins with a horn section and a series of impossible-not-to-love vocal hooks. “It’s just human to want a way out. It’s human to want to win.” 

Celebrating defeat has never felt so sweet, and like any good single, it had me dying for more. 

The duality of this album is that a song like “Crystal Breath” can be sandwiched between two of the kindest compositions in the collection. Crunchy drum machines, dissonant guitar bits, and fuzzy bass bounce through what could’ve been very easily imagined as a Kim Gordon collab. The change in pace it offers was initially jarring, but after the shock wore off, I couldn’t stop bobbing my head to the pseudo psych funk groove. 

The combination of delicate and raucous songs makes for a great listen that’s highly replayable. The title track, “Summerland,” and “Come Running” are downright romantic. Opposed to the industry standard of autotuned, pitch-perfect pop stars, Kim Deal’s voice has a rich and raw character to it that I could listen to all day. 

Mixed with her endearing and intimate lyrics, Kim’s voice is a wonderfully compelling driving force.

The production on this album deserves praise for capturing that raw essence of Kim’s music while adding a slew of new elements to her music that build on the narrative her cult following has hoped for. Having roots in both folk and punk, Nobody Loves You More is sweeter and lighter than any of her other projects while still keeping grounded through some of her more expanded arrangements.

The occasional string accompaniments give the tracks a heavenly feel… but like a cooler heaven. Like Heaven, but Portland. 

Kim’s only other solo venture was a series of singles in 2013 which contained “Are You Mine?” and “Wish I Was.” While the singles had a very cool DIY ethos to them, both of the aforementioned tracks make a properly fleshed out return in Nobody Loves You More. With “Wish I Was” going from instrumental to sung, the vocals carry the song in a refreshing, new way that makes you wonder how it couldn’t have had them before.

For a songwriter whose cap is filled with the feathers of accomplishments from yesteryear, none glisten quite like the flamingo pink feather of Nobody Loves You More. Deal’s music has aged with grace, and this has become my favorite of her works to date. With such a stellar entry, we can only hope it’s not another decade before we see its follow up. 

Make sure to follow Kim Deal on Instagram.  Nobody Loves You More is streaming everywhere.