Album Review: Bob Mould, Sunshine Rock

Bob Mould’s latest of 13 solo albums sees the seasoned veteran lashing out a dozen rock nuggets. His favoured three-piece line-up features Jason Narducy on bass and Jon Worster on drums, while strings are provided by the endearingly named Prague TV Orchestra. His mission statement? “Trying to make great rock albums for people because there’s not that many anymore.”

Along with the title track, we also get ‘Sunny Love Song’, ‘Camp Sunshine’ and ‘Western Sunset’ – there’s definitely a theme of sorts going on here. I guess Bob is in good form; his recent move to Berlin may in some part inform his current ‘sunny’ disposition. Despite his occasional forays into electronic music in the past, Camp Sunshine is unapologetically old-school rock. Walls of blistering Telecasters rip a linear path to your ears, before re-arranging your brain like spaghetti on a fork. Rock trivia buffs will delight in knowing that penultimate tune ‘Send Me A Postcard’ was written by Shocking Blue’s Robbie Van Leeuwen, the man responsible for ‘Love Buzz’ off Nirvana’s first album.

The title tune finds Bob in reflective mood, as he opines on magical times spent at the titular camp. It may be a reference to the American ‘cancer camps’ of the same name. In any case, Bob’s advice is to live in the moment and appreciate every day while it lasts. Wise words. Long may his Diem be Carpe’d.

8/10

https://open.spotify.com/album/1BwE4dnyuM1ML3iA8yy2e5?si=osY_vc4tQJq8NvyUJmbcFw