Review: The I Don't Cares' 'Wild Stab' finds Westerberg and ...

The liner notes to The I Don't Cares debut album Wild Stab include the message, “Recommended: Play at a moderate sensible adult volume. Skiptomaincontent Youhavepermissiontoeditthisarticle. Edit Close Home News Sports Arts&Culture Opinion Multimedia Corrections Apply Haywardbook Donate SignUp LogIn Dashboard Logout MyAccount Dashboard Profile Saveditems Logout Sitesearch Search Facebook Twitter YouTube Instagram EmeraldMediaGroup DailyEmerald EthosMagazine EmeraldEssentials EmeraldPhotoBooth DucksHousing Advertise SignupfortheDailyE! Privacy StaffResources Togglenavigation DONATE Facebook Twitter LinkedIn YouTube Instagram AboutUs AdvertiseWithUs! 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Twitter WhatsApp SMS Email Print Save ThelinernotestoTheIDon’tCaresdebutalbumWildStabincludethemessage,“Recommended:Playatamoderatesensibleadultvolume.”Whilethisisafarcryfromthe“FileUnder:PowerTrash”noteplacedonTheReplacements’SorryMa,ForgotToTakeOutTheTrash,themessageisclear:PaulWesterbergisstillthewisecrackingsmartassmostsongwriterswishtheycouldbe.Westerberg,thesinger,guitaristandsongwriterforthelegendaryMinneapolispunkbandTheReplacements,hasteamedupwithJulianaHatfield(BlakeBabies,TheJulianaHatfieldThree,SomeGirlsandMinorAlps)toformTheIDon’tCares.With16songsanda52-minuteruntime,WildStabbreezesbywithfewspeedbumpsandshowcasestheoccasionaldiamond-in-the-roughtoemergefromWesterberg’sbasement.InarecentinterviewwithPeterWolfforVanyaland,WesterbergdescribedthecombinationofhisandHatfield’svocalsas“sandpaperanddaffodil.”HealsoexplainedhowthecollaborationcenteredonHatfieldpickingherfavoritetracksfromWesterberg’sbasementrecordingstudio.Westerbergusedtowriteasongaday,fewofwhichleftthebasementandmanywerediscardedortapedover,lostforever.It’sdifficulttocritiqueanalbumbyabandcalledTheIDon’tCares,especiallyonefrontedbyoneofrock‘n’roll’smostnotoriousunderachievers.Tobestdescribethemoodofthealbum,lookat“½2P”(sounditout).It’spartiallyalovesong,partiallyanindicationofanoveractivebladderissue.“Whenyoucallmebaby,Ineedtofindanalley/Yourvoicealwaysmakesmehavetopee,”WesterbergandHatfieldsingintightunisonbackedbyabrightacousticandprominentelectricguitar.Asaduo,HatfieldandWesterbergmeshbeautifully.Hatfieldunderstandswhentosingbackupandwhentoinsertherselfintotheforefrontofthesong,andasthealbumprogresses,Hatfield’srolebecomesmoreprominent.Thealbummaintainsitslightfeelinguntilthefinaltrack.Mostofthedrumsarebalancedlowinthesoundmixing,butWildStabisallaboutthevocals,guitarandensuringthesetrackswererecordedbeforetheyweredestroyed.Theonlysongthatwouldbesignificantlyimprovedbybetterdrummixingis“LoveOutLoud,”whichrecallsthefeeloftheReplacements’“IOU”andisfueledbyasimilarmannerism.Theonlyuninspiredtrackis“DanceToTheFight.”Itcarriestheheavy-handedrhythmicstrummingcommonthroughmuchofWesterberg’ssolowork,butthelyricsseemtohavebeenleftonasheetofpaperthatwasdestinedfordestruction.Luckily,itfallstothewaysideasitisplacedbetween“SorryForTomorrowNight”and“KissingBreak,”theduo’smosttenderballadandbestinstanceofharmonization.Whiletheopener,“Back,”featuresWesterberg’smostvulnerablesoundingvocals,thefinale“HandsTogether”isahauntinganalysisofhiscurrentlife.ItfeaturesthedensestcollectionofbrilliantWesterbergianone-liners,andishisbestsongsincethereleaseofPleasedToMeetMe(1987).Armedwitha12-stringacousticguitar,lightdrumsandHatfield’sbeautifulbackingvocals,Westerbergyetagainconfirmshisreputationasaworld-classsongwriter.Aftersharingbreakfastwithacigarettethat“insistedonrollingonthefloor”anddinnerwithacupofcoffeethat“likestobecalledamug,”hediscoversheis“long,tall,darkandhandsome,stilllonelyasshit”byobservinghisrelationshipwithhouseholditems:“ThedreamsIhadbeforearenowtooboredtoevenshowup/Andtheblanketsareembarrassed/It’sonlymethattheycoverup.”Foronceinhiscareer,Westerbergisfullyadmittinghefeelstrappedandalone,anditfeelslikeaclearwindowintohissoul.Usually,hedisguiseshisfeelingsthroughtheveiledperspectiveofacharacter,butthisisWesterbergnarratingfromanunfilteredperspective,likelystillreelingfromhis2014divorce.Thesongisanillustrationoflonelinessanddespair,andtheresultsaredevastating.PaulWesterberg,singeroftheIDon’tCares,performsfromatentwithTheReplacementsattheParamountTheaterinSeattleonApril9,2015.PhotocourtesyofCraigWright.ThepossibilityofanewReplacementsalbumalmostbecamearealityduringthe2015“BackByUnpopularDemand”tour,butafteradead-endrecordingattempt,thecurrentrumoristhattheReplacementsarefinished.IfWildStabisthetypeofmaterialTheReplacementswouldhaverecorded,it’sforthebestthattheydidnotrecord.Performedinaseriouscontext,muchofWildStabwouldbemercilesslytrashedbycritics.Inthislaid-backcontext,it’simpossibletodenythatitisafunalbumandaworthwhilecollaboration.Trackslike“NeedTheGuys”and“LittlePeople”portraythealbum’sintendedunpolishedfeeling,while“BornForMe”(originallyonSuicaineGratifaction,1999)and“KingOfAmerica”serveasthehighproductioncounterparts.WhileWesterbergwrotethesongs,JulianaHatfieldshouldreceiveasmuchcreditforselectingtheonesworthyofsavingfromdestruction.Listento“1/22P”fromWildStabbelow. Readmorelikethis +4 Arts&Culture featured NailsUncorked:apedicureexperience MelvinBravo Jun2,2022 Comments Arts&Culture featured Aneyeonearththroughart TreverBolton Jun2,2022 Comments +2 Arts&Culture featured McClurg,Carekand‘ThePath’ MalenaSaadeh Updated 6hrsago Comments Facebook Twitter WhatsApp SMS Email Print Save Tags PaulWesterberg Music Singing WildStab LinerNote JulianaHatfieldThree Song Album Vocal TweetsbyDailyEmerald PRESIDENT&PUBLISHER BillKunerth(541)346-5511Ext.317 [email protected] VPOPERATIONS KathyCarbone(541)346-5511Ext.302 [email protected] CREATIVE&TECHNICALDIRECTOR SamuelRudkin(541)346-5511Ext.327 [email protected] ADDIRECTOR ShellyRondestvedt(541)346-5511Ext.303 [email protected] DailyEmerald,publishedbyEmeraldMediaGroup•1395UniversitySt.Suite302•Eugene,OR•97403/Terms/Privacy/Copyright©1996-2020,AllRightsReserved About AboutEMG Alumni Archive Advertise AdvertiseWithUs! 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