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Every piece of artwork is influenced by its surroundings. However, if we were to consider for a brief moment that the 11th album by Sleater-Kinney, comprised of the talented guitarists Carrie Brownstein and Corin Tucker, was released without any external factors, its 10 tracks would have a certain impact, potentially different from what it currently has.
Maybe the precision of its dot-inspired post-punk style would receive enthusiastic acclaim, or the intensity of its tunes. Little Rope, in fact, seems to be one of Sleater-Kinney’s most tightly constructed and concentrated efforts, with each sharp guitar riff and emotive vocal highlighted in intricate detail, standing out boldly with room to breathe, similar to the embossed print on a traditional debit card. Credit is also owed to producer John Congleton, known for his work with musicians like St Vincent, who also produced Sleater-Kinney’s second-to-last album, The Center Won’t Hold (2019).
The song “Needlessly Wild” by Little Rope exudes a sense of urgency and freedom, with its catchy pop tune and confident lyrics. The band Sleater-Kinney, who emerged from the riot grrrl movement in the Pacific northwest, has been known for promoting nonconformity and self-expression. Despite a break from 2006 to 2014, they remain one of the most influential bands from this movement.
Tucker sings in “Dress Yourself”, urging individuals to get out of bed and put on outfits they adore, even in a world they despise. This song serves as a source of motivation for those struggling through their daily routines amidst our state of permanent crisis. In “Six Mistakes”, the band delves into the concept of reality, with a creeping guitar hinting at a stalker-like storyline. As Tucker belts out, the lyrics question whether the life being lived is all just a figment of the mind.
There are various factors that may require individuals to be motivated to change their clothes, or why an individual’s perception of reality may become distorted. The idea for Little Rope was already mapped out before a significant event affected its development: the passing of Brownstein’s mother and stepfather in a car accident in the fall of 2022.
As a result of her loss, Brownstein did not sing any lead vocals on the album “Little Rope,” unlike previous albums where she had a few songs. Instead, she found solace in playing guitar, using it as a physical and grounding practice to help her cope with her grief. In an interview with the Guardian last month, she expressed that being alive can feel arbitrary at times.
Little Rope is marked by feelings of suffering and confusion, but it also offers a variety of experiences. The final song, “The Untidy Creature,” responds to the decision made by the US supreme court in 2022 to overturn Roe v Wade, which takes away the federal protection for legal abortion and sets back women’s ability to make their own choices.
Say It Like You Mean It could be Sleater-Kinney’s most mainstream song yet, a full-throated goodbye to love whose Brownstein-directed video starring Succession’s Gerri Kellman – the actor J Smith-Cameron – might nod, elliptically, at the invisibility of older women, as well as the despair at not being seen within a relationship.
The deep heartache of Say It Like You Mean It (“the clocks have stopped”), though, echoes WH Auden’s Funeral Blues (“stop all the clocks”). Throughout Little Rope, lyrics about one feeling expand to apply to others so often it feels like an oxygen mask would be handy, so regular are the sharp intakes of breath those slippages elicit. Everywhere, the protagonists of Little Rope’s songs are reeling, clawing their ways across the ground, pleading for gentleness, struggling with basic tasks.
The first song, Hell, suggests that it is merely a marker along a specific journey. It emphasizes that one can easily end up there due to circumstances. Tucker sings on Hunt You Down that she has been feeling low for a long time and even pays homage to the ground. The song stylishly portrays the feeling of fear. The chorus cautions that the thing you are most afraid of will eventually catch up to you.
However, these ten songs are not melancholic; there is no trace of self-pity. “Don’t Feel Right” is a definite hit, a positive song about feeling terrible that slightly brings to mind Supergrass’ “Alright” with its deceptively upbeat lyrics about things to do. There is no correct method for grieving, yet it seems that the shock and sadness have motivated Sleater-Kinney to take charge of their day and focus on what matters most.
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, 2018
On January 19th, 2018, Little Rope was released.
Source: theguardian.com
