The Breeders Are Back!

BY: Rudie Obias

After a 10 year hiatus, the seminal 90s alternative rock band, The Breeders, has released a new album, All Nerve, its first since 2008’s Mountain Battles. The new release is also part of the band’s 25th anniversary of their iconic Last Splash album, which included the hit single “Cannonball.”

While the line-up has changed for The Breeders over the last 29 years, its core songwriting team and frontwomen, Kim and Kelley Deal, remain. The new album also features the classic Last Splash lineup with Josephine Wiggs on bass and Jim Macpherson on drums.

The first single from All Nerve is “Wait in the Car” and it’s a rocker, an upbeat throwback to the band’s 90’s style with driving guitars and irreverent melodies. It might sound more modern than it seems considering that The Breeders are so influential in today’s Rock and Roll landscape.

I mean, let’s face it, the 90s sound has been springing up with new bands like Speedy Ortiz, Charly Bliss, and Courtney Barnett. In fact, Barnett provides backing vocals for the song “Howl at the Summit.”

The band’s new single “All Nerve,” the album’s title track, is a downbeat and powerful ballad that speaks to Kim Deal’s knack for narrative in her songwriting, while the album’s lead off track “Nervous Mary” draws in a listener with its heartfelt vocals and offbeat guitar work.

While The Breeders are positioned to make a come back in a big way, the band’s biggest claim to fame came with the song “Cannonball” in 1993. Not only was it a bold statement on Kim Deal leaving The Pixies for more creative freedom, it also showcased the talents of a then-up-and-coming director Spike Jonze, who directed its music video. “Cannonball” is quintessential 90s and I think pop culture is all the better for its release.

All Nerve is out now and available to stream on Spotify and Apple Music. The Breeders are also currently on tour right now in the United States.