Lost the year of its release in comparison to the overwhelming attention given to PJ Harvey's excellent debut Dry, Nude Nudes is no less impressive and tense an album, a fine showcase for both Josephine Wiggs and Jon Mattock to create some sharp, impressive rock & roll shot through with post-punk... [+] Expand

Lost the year of its release in comparison to the overwhelming attention given to PJ Harvey's excellent debut Dry, Nude Nudes is no less impressive and tense an album, a fine showcase for both Josephine Wiggs and Jon Mattock to create some sharp, impressive rock & roll shot through with post-punk edge and end-of-the-'80s indie sonic touches. Wiggs' work in the Perfect Disaster and especially the Breeders holds the key to the connection here. The production bears definite resemblance to Steve Albini's work on Pod, though the guitars aren't raunching out anywhere as much, and indeed are mostly acoustic. There's a live, crisp edge throughout Nude Nudes, very much the sound of hearing a band in a room, even though the multiple instruments Wiggs handles means it wasn't recorded that way. She herself has a distinctly throatier singing vocal in comparison to Kim Deal, and she uses it well; it's rich sounding and downright passionate. Her ear for snaky basslines and less-is-more guitar flourishes and melodies turns up strong as well -- there's no flash for flash's sake, everything sounding economical and just right. Check the quiet, slightly flamenco acoustic touches on "Like a Lobster" or the halfway to medieval folk cadences of "Some Fun." Mattock adds the right rhythm punch throughout, never blasting or running roughshod but not simply shuffling along either, Audu Obaje's engineering work giving his drums the right sonic balance in the mix. When both performers add their extra touches -- "On Thursdays" features both Wiggs' cello and Mattock's other percussion work -- the results can be quietly magical. It's no surprise that Wiggs and Mattock kept working together in later years; on the basis of Nude Nudes, it's a quality partnership the two have. ~ Ned Raggett, All Music Guide [-] Collapse

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