Tomorrow Hit Today

To record their fifth album, 1998’s Tomorrow Hits Today, Mudhoney left Seattle. In an attempt to rid themselves of the bad taste of the post-Nirvana music scene, the band hired storied producer Jim Dickinson and decamped to Dickinson’s native Memphis, the eternal fount of raw American rock ‘n’ roll. Best known for his on-the-edge recordings of Big Star and Alex Chilton, Dickinson succeeded in bringing out the best in Mudhoney, who were in danger of running out of ideas. “This Is the Life,” “Ghost” and “I Have To Laugh” are feral and unhinged, a long-awaited return to the intensity of Superfuzz Bigmuff. At the same time, Dickinson brought new textures to the group. “Oblivion” and “Move With the Wind” are muggy and marshy, echoing the danger and mystery of the Deep South. The band also connected with the city’s musical lineage with “Try to Be Kind,” a brutish rockabilly, and “Real Low Vibe,” a groaning blues. Even the band’s signature slushy crawls take on a new downhome flavor. The closing track, “I Will Fight No More Forever,” feels like a funeral march to the bottom of the swamp.