What do you do when your current band decides to take a break?Start another one! After meeting while their respective bands were touring together,Kim DealofPixiesandTanya DonellyofThrowing Musesstarted talking about possible side projects. They would go on to recruit violinistCarrie Bradleyand record a short demo tape. That tape got them signed to the Pixies’ label, 4AD. With an $11,000 recording budget from the label, Deal askedSteve Albini, who had worked on Pixies’ 1988 albumSurfer Rosa, to record the album. The group recorded over two weeks in December 1989 in Edinburgh. In the end they had the songs that would becomePod. It’s a record that is marked for its creativity and innovation, building on the angular melodies and howling dynamics of the musicians’ main projects. Albini would go on to say that it was some of his best work, one of the rare occasions which he felt he got both the best sound for a band, and the best performance from a band. The Breeders also won overNirvana‘sKurt Cobainwho cited it as one of the most influential albums of his life. Official 2018 4AD repress.

• black vinyl pressing
• includes printed insert
• original release year: 1990
• music label: 4AD 2018

reviewed by Hank Ohs 01/2015