Possibly their finest album,
Throwing Muses' fifth album,
University, blends the rock power of
Red Heaven, their first effort as a trio, with the shiny, surreal pop of
The Real Ramona. The result is a collection of songs, like the album opener, "Bright Yellow Gun," that are as ferociously kinetic as they are insinuatingly melodic. At first,
Tanya Donelly's departure from the group might have been seen as a liability, but on this dreamy yet direct album, it's an asset: it gives
Kristin Hersh room for her most wide-ranging collection of songs yet. "Start," "Hazing," "Shimmer," and "Teller" are some of her most immediate, deceptively sweet punk-pop confections, rivalling previous
Muses classics like "Counting Backwards" in their hooky intensity. Yet the delicate "Crabtown" and "Fever Few" reaffirm
Hersh's finesse with brooding, folky melodies. "That's All You Wanted" and "Snakeface" remain two of
the Muses' catchiest songs, and the driven "No Way in Hell" and "Flood" show that
Hersh hasn't lost any of her edge.
University's smooth, streamlined production adds a bit of sheen to
Hersh's jagged, elliptical guitar lines and keening vocals, but doesn't rob either of its impact; if anything, the album's polish just heightens its flowing yet diverse sound. The album
the Muses had been trying to make since
Hunkpapa,
University is as hypnotic as it is accessible.