Album Mini-review: Bob Mould — Patch the Sky
File next to: Hüsker Dü, Sugar, Dinosaur Jr.
Bob Mould is that rarest of creatures: a songwriter who can write impassioned, heartfelt lyrics, wrap them inside ear-candy melodies, and deliver them with the instrumental force of hardcore punk. The former Hüsker Dü frontman’s skillful merging of those disparate qualities has led to his status as a kind of all-things-to-all-people artist. On Patch the Sky, the midtempo “Voices in My Head” and the speedier “The End of Things” should please listeners who demand guitars set on stun as well as those who insist on top-notch melodic quotient. Mould has a particular knack for crafting skewed vocal harmonies by overdubbing his own voice in the studio; those voicings really shouldn’t work, but somehow do. Mould’s 11th studio album proves he can still writes songs of angst and despair and then serve them up in the catchiest, rocking-est manner possible
About the Author
Bill Kopp
With a background in marketing and advertising, Bill Kopp got his professional start writing for Trouser Press. After a stint as Editor-in-chief for a national music magazine, Bill launched Musoscribe in 2009, and has published new content every business day since then (and every single day since 2018). The 4000-plus interviews, essays, and reviews on Musoscribe reflect Bill's keen interest in American musical forms, most notably rock, jazz, and soul. His work features a special emphasis on reissues and vinyl. Bill's work also appears in many other outlets both online and in print. He regularly hosts lecture/discussions on artists and albums of historical importance (including monthly events Music to Your Ears and Music Movie Mondays), and is a frequent guest on music-focused radio programs and podcasts. In Spring 2023 he is co-teaching a history of Rock 'n' Roll at UNC Asheville's College for Seniors. He also researches and authors liner notes for album reissues -- more than 30 to date -- and co-produced a reissue of jazz legend Julian "Cannonball" Adderley's final album. His first book, Reinventing Pink Floyd: From Syd Barrett to The Dark Side of the Moon was published by Rowman & Littlefield in 2018, and in paperback in 2019. His second book, Disturbing the Peace: 415 Records and the Rise of New Wave, was published in 2021 by HoZac Books. His third book, What's the Big Idea: 40 Great Concept Albums will be published in 2024. Read even more about him here.