University

Option - "...unplugged or plugged, the intensity and honesty of Hirsch's songs is the same. Hirsch grabs onto things that most push out of their minds...For the insomniac, UNIVERSITY is best in the broad daylight..." Spin - Highly Recommended - "...The familiar schizoid bop Hersh innovated...remains the defining musical trait, but Hersh's line of sight has shifted. She now approaches insanity with a critical distance....The transformation plays out as a calming influence on the music. UNIVERSITY is Muses' most clearly pop record..." Musician - "...This alluring, elusive opus resists reduction to easy formulas....[Hersh] avoids cliches...crafting appealing hooks that melt away upon close inspection, while obliquely outlining common phenomena like desire, anger, and, especially, uncertainty..." NME - 8 - Excellent - "...overpowering, not in a metallic way, but in a much more insidious manner, with light and shade provided by double-tracked vocals, liberal splashes of cello doom, generous guitar riffage and a boss rhythm section...essential..." Entertainment Weekly - "...A propulsive brand of edgy guitar-rock that's ultimately more haunting than any confession Hersh utters..." - Rating: B+ Rolling Stone - 4 Stars - Excellent - "...the Muses have never sounded more focused, more driving....So much excitement courses through this album, it proves that [Kristen] Hersh is simply one of the most gifted artists around..." Rolling Stone (2/23/95, pp.72-74) - 4 Stars - Excellent - "...the Muses have never sounded more focused, more driving....So much excitement courses through this album, it proves that [Kristen] Hersh is simply one of the most gifted artists around..." Spin (2/95, pp.74-75) - Highly Recommended - "...The familiar schizoid bop Hersh innovated...remains the defining musical trait, but Hersh's line of sight has shifted. She now approaches insanity with a critical distance....The transformation plays out as a calming influence on the music. UNIVERSITY is Muses' most clearly pop record..." Musician (3/95, pp.82-83) - "...This alluring, elusive opus resists reduction to easy formulas....[Hersh] avoids cliches...crafting appealing hooks that melt away upon close inspection, while obliquely outlining common phenomena like desire, anger, and, especially, uncertainty..." NME (1/14/95, p.39) - 8 - Excellent - "...overpowering, not in a metallic way, but in a much more insidious manner, with light and shade provided by double-tracked vocals, liberal splashes of cello doom, generous guitar riffage and a boss rhythm section...essential..." Entertainment Weekly (1/20/95, p.52) - "...A propulsive brand of edgy guitar-rock that's ultimately more haunting than any confession Hersh utters..." - Rating: B+ Option (5-6/95, p.139) - "...unplugged or plugged, the intensity and honesty of Hirsch's songs is the same. Hirsch grabs onto things that most push out of their minds...For the insomniac, UNIVERSITY is best in the broad daylight..."

If not for the pop apotheosis of 1991's THE REAL RAMONA, UNIVERSITY would be the Throwing Muses' finest moment. The departure of bassist and half-sister Tanya Donnelly and a subsequent lukewarm album (RED HEAVEN) has clearly not dimmed the capabilities of singer/songwriter Kristen Hersh, whose dark, musical vision, spiraling song structures, and associative lyrics have made the Muses one of the best (and most overlooked) indie rock bands of the '80s and '90s.
Though the schizophrenic metres, skittish energy and chiming guitar sound of early Muses efforts are long gone, the streamlined sonic assault and lush psychedelia of UNIVERSITY is no less compelling. Thudding rockers such as "Bright Yellow Gun" and "Teller" alternate with sprays of weightless lucidity such as "Crabtown" and the title track. Like a veiled dancer, Hersh continually reveals surprises: the undulating shuffle of "Snakeface", the climbing pulse in "Surf Cowboy", the jangle pop of "That's All You Wanted". Hersh's anguished sense of beauty is in ample evidence throughout, highlighted by her dense, contrapuntal harmonies, liquid guitar lines, and superior production sense. The combination of meticulous, multi-layered soundscapes and Hersh's outstanding, surreal songcraft make UNIVERSITY essential listening.|