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THE REVIEW
Let's assume that a hardcore punk band, famous for a fast and abrasive sound, leaves the indie world to sign a contract with a multinational. And let's also assume that this band, in the first album they release with a major contract, significantly increases the amount of pop and melody, inserting here and there a couple of acoustic ballads and even a piano piece. Well, apparently, all the ingredients to be outraged and cry betrayal are there. Yes, if it weren't for the fact we are not talking about just any band: we are talking about Hüsker Dü.
The album in question is "Candy Apple Grey", released by Warner Bros in 1986, the seventh and penultimate act of this Minneapolis trio's saga. Although by some it's considered a transitional album, the record contains some of the most beautiful things the group has recorded in its pop phase.
The opener "Crystal", violent and monotonous, immediately makes it clear to the listener that, despite the WB label on the back of the cover, the Hüskers have not softened at all and are still capable of hitting hard as ever. The rest of the album is instead marked by a pop that is still corrosive, but with melancholic tones. Grant Hart and Bob Mould once again prove to be great authors: the former is credited with the breathtaking melodies of "Don't Want To Know If You're Lonely" and "Dead Set On Destruction", the solemn one of "Sorry Somehow", and the unpredictable "No Promise Have I Made"; the latter signs the acoustic "Too Far Down" and "Hardly Getting Over It" (which with their subdued tone almost anticipate what he would do solo in the early '90s), the full Dü-style guitar riffs of "All This I've Done For You" and the aforementioned "Crystal", the catchy hooks of "Eiffel Tower High" and "I Don't Know For Sure".
Sure, "Candy Apple Grey" might not be comparable to a "Zen Arcade", as influential as "New Day Rising" or as complete as "Warehouse", but taken on its own, it is a nearly perfect album of alternative pop with shadowy and nostalgic tones. One to dust off for the autumn that is now knocking at the door.
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Summary by Bot
Candy Apple Grey marks Hüsker Dü's first major label release, blending their hardcore punk roots with more melodic and pop elements. The album balances corrosive energy with melancholic, nostalgic tones. Both Grant Hart and Bob Mould deliver strong songwriting across varied tracks. Although not as seminal as earlier works, it stands as a nearly perfect alternative pop record worth revisiting.
Hüsker Dü
Hüsker Dü were an American rock band from Minnesota, best known as a Minneapolis trio (Bob Mould, Grant Hart, Greg Norton) who helped expand 1980s hardcore punk into melodic, emotionally charged alternative and indie rock. Their run from the early 1980s to 1988 is frequently cited as hugely influential, with Zen Arcade often treated as a landmark release.25 Reviews
Other reviews
By Cris
Their anger is caged. Yet it finds outlet in melody and emotions.
This record made me love Rock, and made me believe that despite being inundated with tons of garbage, we need to dig deep into things to gather the life force that will make us love life for what it is.
