As a follow-up to Bob Mould’s more electronic, experimental, but ultimately disappointing Modulate, Body of Song was an overwhelming success. As a new addition to his strong catalog (including Husker Du, Sugar, and his other solo material), it probably depended on what era you like.
Those looking for a Sugar fix were likely a little disappointed: Very little of this album, released on July 26, 2005, contained the pop buzz Sugar was so good at. At the same time, those looking for follow-ups to his first two, more stripped-down solo albums Black Sheets of Rain and Workbook needed some time to adjust, too – less so than the Sugar-enthusiasts, however.
Where Body of Song showed the most similarities is with Bob Mould’s post-Sugar solo output, tempering the excessive, naive electronics of Modulate with his signature razor-sharp guitar. Mould’s skills with programming had developed quite well, and there was very little of the awkward, pre-programmed feeling that came before.
What you got was an album of guitar rock with a techno edge – nothing new in the music world, but Mould’s particular spin on this style was something new and interesting to listen to. While some may have balked at his occasional use of the now-cliche vocoder effect that Cher made popular again with “Believe,” if you can listen past it, the songs are as strong as Bob Mould’s work is always known for.
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