Breaking the Balls of History

Sometimes the best and most healing thing you can do is make a bunch of noise, and Janet Weiss seems to know that. In 2019, after more than 20 years as a member of Sleater-Kinney, Weiss left the group over creative differences with her bandmates, and a month later she was in a serious auto accident that broke her collarbone and both legs. Weiss timing also meant that she was still getting back up to speed when the COVID-19 pandemic left her stranded at home and unable to play shows, even if she was feeling 100-percent again. So what did she do? She got in touch with her old friend Sam Coomes, her musical partner in their dormant project Quasi, and they got together for regular jamming and songwriting sessions. In time, the pair wrote enough songs for a new LP, and 2023s Breaking the Balls of History is the first album in ten years from this dynamic duo. And dynamic is just what it is -- these songs show Weiss is again living up to her status as one of the best rock drummers on the planet, and you can feel the joy that comes from her being able to pummel a drum kit with her trademark level of muscle, precision, and imagination. Even better, shes doing so with a musician who is delighted to feed off her energy, and the roar of Coomes heavily distorted keyboards (and occasional guitar overdubs) is a great match for Weiss forward momentum, boasting enough punch and pomp to stand tall in any context. The songs are splendid, full of clever, catchy melodies, and Coomes dramatic delivery is a great vehicle for his often topical and always quotable lyrics, taking on a variety of political and social maladies with a wit thats as charming as it is venomous. It wasnt uncommon for Quasi to take long breaks between albums, given how many other commitments both Coomes and Weiss had on their plates, but its hard not to be curiously grateful for the calamities that unwittingly made this reunion possible. It was clearly a fun and healing experience for the pair, and its a fine thing to be reminded of how smart, how funny, and how pleasurable Quasi can be when the spirit is with them. It was certainly there when the tape rolled for Breaking the Balls of History. ~ Mark Deming

サム・クームズ(故エリオット・スミスと共に伝説Heatmiserで活動)とジャネット・ワイス(元Sleater-Kinney)によるオルタナ・デュオ:クワージ2023年作。名門SUB POPよりジョン・グッドマンソン(スリーター・キニー、デス・キャブ・フォー・キューティ)と共に制作された10年振り10TH完成。数々の名盤と多岐に渡るプロジェクトや参加作によりシーンに影響を与え続けるレジェンド2人であり、交通事故での活動休止や危機を乗り越え共に(互いに)プレイしてきた30年の歴史と重なる傑作。アメリカ・インディそのものを体現する楽曲群揃った傑作。ええやんええやん。
intoxicate (C)黒田"ハイプ"朋規