Released for Record Store Day on 19 April 2014, MMXIV is a limited-edition 10-inch vinyl EP that marked the official reunion of Veruca Salt's original four-piece lineup after a 14-year hiatus. The release served as a bridge to their 2015 comeback album, Ghost Notes, reuniting co-frontwomen Nina Gordon and Louise Post with bassist Steve Lack, drummer Jim Shapiro, and American Thighs producer Brad Wood. The record features two exclusive, high-energy alt-rock tracks—"The Museum of Broken Relationships" and "It's Holy"—alongside a 20th-anniversary reissue of their 1994 breakout grunge hit, "Seether".
As a targeted reintroduction, the MMXIV 10-inch EP functions as a powerful testament to the enduring chemistry of Veruca Salt’s definitive lineup. Reunited with producer Brad Wood, the band bypasses any transitional awkwardness, delivering a sound that feels instantly vital rather than merely nostalgic. The leading track, "The Museum of Broken Relationships", serves as the perfect centerpiece; it snakes around a classic, jagged guitar riff before boiling over into the kind of ecstatic, fuzz-heavy climax that defined mid-90s alternative rock. Side-A companion "It's Holy" doubles down on this energy, driven by the trademark vocal trade-offs and interlocking harmonies of Nina Gordon and Louise Post that initially made the band a breakout force.
What makes this release truly successful is how it honors the past without being trapped by it. Anchoring the B-side with a 20th-anniversary pressing of "Seether" could have felt like a cheap marketing trick, but instead, it acts as a triumphant victory lap that contextualizes the two new tracks. The original grunge masterpiece still hits with immense structural force, yet the new material holds its own, radiating a lighter-hearted joie de vivre and an "invincible" studio energy born from healed friendships. Ultimately, MMXIV avoids the flabby, unedited pitfalls that often plague mid-career comebacks, offering a lean, three-song burst of adrenaline that beautifully set the stage for their full-length renaissance.
Ripped to MP3
A1: "The Museum of Broken Relationships"
A2: "It's Holy"
B1: "Seether"
No comments:
Post a Comment