Grant Hart claims he left Hüsker Dü because no one took him seriously as a singer/songwriter, and that guitarist Bob Mould was typically seen as the creative center of the band. That's unfair, of course, since Hart was responsible for close to half of their oeuvre. But it's equally unfair that, in the 13 years since the Hüskers split, Mould's solo career has overshadowed Hart's, both in prolificacy and measure of success. Good News for Modern Man is Hart's first solo release since 1990's Intolerance, and more than six years have passed since the last release by his ill-fated Nova Mob project. It's a shame, really, because this album proves he's equally capable of delivering the goods as his former bandmate, even if it takes him longer to do it.
Even at their most hardcore, Hüsker Dü were pop lovers at heart. Hart indulges that tendency here and makes literally no concession to his punk roots-- a good thing, since he possesses a fantastic knowledge of the form and turns out a terrifically diverse set of songs. While he's at it, Hart takes it upon himself to play all the instruments, too, and displays a facility for tight, inventive, multi-layered arrangements.
The huge guitar chords of "Think It Over Now" ride equally huge Spector-sized drums, while "Nobody Rides for Free" recalls Bob Dylan's character-sketching heyday. The awkwardly titled "Run Run Run to the Centre Pompidou" combines Dick Dale-styled guitar work with Brian Wilson vocal harmonies without a trace of retro-kitsch. "You Don't Have to Tell Me Now" is one of the most gorgeous songs Hart has ever written, closely resembling his ex-band's quieter moments. And sudden left turns, like the cheesy keyboard and ominous layers of reverb that crop up in "Teeny's Hair" only serve to prove Grant's mastery of his craft.
Good News' five songs are all so well crafted, in fact, it's surprising when the album starts to wear thin around the halfway point. "A Letter From Anne Marie" begins pleasingly enough, with some effective (if synthesized) horn and string arrangements. But all too soon, it becomes insufferably repetitive, as the title refrain is repeated endlessly over the same four chords. Eventually, Hart's warbly falsetto begins to grate, and the song completely fails to justify its six-minute length. The following track, "In a Cold House," despite its tasty baritone guitar riff, quickly stumbles into the same pitfalls. Yet even in these weaker moments, the production and arrangements remain top notch. The album doesn't stay down for long, luckily, though the proceeding tracks can't quite erase the effects of that brief loss of momentum.
"Seka Knows" trots along in \xBE time, pleasantly reminiscent of New Day Rising's "She Floated Away." The fragment "Let Rosemary Rock Him, Laura-Louise," though grippingly titled, hardly seems a necessary inclusion, but it precedes one of the album's best tracks, the closer, "Little Nemo." "Nemo" builds from cut-up piano parts and subtle guitar and percussion into a steady rocker before disintegrating a la "A Day in the Life," only to slowly coalesce again around cascading piano and brisk guitar chords masked by waves of distortion. The attention to craft and detail is what carries the final product, and it's no wonder it took Grant three years to record it on his own. Good News for Modern Man sounds remarkably fresh for guy who's released so little over the past decade. For now, I'm just glad he's still making records, and hoping this isn't his last.
