Here's Where The Strings Come In

Alternative Press - "Not much different here....except: More clarity of production, a brighter sound, a wider-ranging sonic attack; and stronger, self-confident performances, a more defiantly tremulous cheerfulness....try to imagine Superchunk as an unholy combination of the bluesy, urgent yearnings of the Replacements with the hyperplasticity of the Toy Dolls..." Spin - 8 - Very Good - "...Superchunk's healthiest and most intricate full-length to date, another cautious step away from the stoic garage attack....works the small miracle of retaining [a] clownish unpreparedness while aspiring to more mature...instrumentation..." NME - 7 (out of 10) - "...their breadth of vision is drawing them towards introspection, restraint, and experimentation....Refreshingly, the band have managed to master restraint without sacrificing their charming desperation--they're burning bright without burning out..." Spin (10/95, pp.112-114) - 8 - Very Good - "...Superchunk's healthiest and most intricate full-length to date, another cautious step away from the stoic garage attack....works the small miracle of retaining [a] clownish unpreparedness while aspiring to more mature...instrumentation..." NME (10/7/95, p.46) - 7 (out of 10) - "...their breadth of vision is drawing them towards introspection, restraint, and experimentation....Refreshingly, the band have managed to master restraint without sacrificing their charming desperation--they're burning bright without burning out..." Alternative Press (1/96, p.91) - "Not much different here....except: More clarity of production, a brighter sound, a wider-ranging sonic attack; and stronger, self-confident performances, a more defiantly tremulous cheerfulness....try to imagine Superchunk as an unholy combination of the bluesy, urgent yearnings of the Replacements with the hyperplasticity of the Toy Dolls..."

Since the band's formation in the early '90s, Superchunk has been fighting the same accusations of willful obscurity that dogged REM for the early part of its career. The difference between the two bands (outside of units sold), is that while REM simply buried the vocals low in the mix, Superchunk buried the vocals low in the mix and turned the buzzsaw guitars up so high that some fans wondered if there were lyrics at all.
On HERE'S WHERE THE STRINGS COME IN, Superchunk finally slows down enough to allow the audience to steal a peek behind the wall of guitars and hear Mac McCaughan's lyrics float comfortably above the mix. The actual content of the songs has always mattered less to Superchunk than the setting of a mood. This album takes the usual Superchunk combination of boyish charm and regret to new extremes. Whether sarcastic ("Here's Where the Strings Come In"), yearning ("Detroit Has a Skyline"), or simply hyper ("Hyper Enough"), Superchunk packs more complexity into one song than anyone working within the indie pop genre. With this effort, Superchunk didn't merely slow down, but clarified its vision.|