Body of Song

With Husker Du and Sugar, Bob Mould kept his guitars on 11 as he sweetened the deal with sweet melodies that belied an interest in a pop music much lighter than his crippling electric guitar attack. From there, Mould put the scare in his rock guitar-based audience by turning to elements of electronica for 2002’s Modulate. However, it seems to have been a building block, an opportunity for Mould to learn a few new tricks, because he puts a few unique lessons into the follow-up, 2005’s exemplary Body of Song. From the opening charge of “Circles,” Mould sounds like a man on a mission and the electronically manipulated vocoder-pitch corrected vocals on “(Shine Your) Light Love Home,” “I Am Vision, I Am Sound” and “Always Tomorrow” reflect this interest in bringing his earth-based concerns to future galaxies. Backed by a small, tight ensemble, Mould wastes few notes and his songwriting takes precise focus. “Underneath Days,” “Days of Rain” and “Best Thing” were among his strongest tunes in years and point towards a new resurgence for the vaunted songwriter.