Throwing Muses
The Real Ramona

THE REVIEW

When it comes to American indie rock, an important name not to forget is Throwing Muses. They were the first American band to sign with the English label 4AD, with which the Pixies would later also collaborate, who were introduced to the live scene by Throwing Muses.

At the time of this album, "The Real Ramona," the band consisted of the three original members, Kristin Hersh and Tanya Donnelly on vocals and guitars, drummer David Narcizo, with the addition of newcomer Fred Abong on bass. This was the last studio work with Tanya Donnelly (and the only one with this lineup) who subsequently left the band to join Kim Deal's Breeders and then formed Belly.

The band's discography includes several albums, but "The Real Ramona" is definitively the most complete work, best summarizing everything Throwing Muses created over the years: a perfect fusion of sharp melodies accompanied by a stronger pop turn, making the result exquisite. The cover features an emblematic vintage photo of a bourgeois woman with teased hair and barefoot, looking towards the camera with her hands clasped; drummer David Narcizo stated that it was Hersh's grandmother. Narcizo also mentioned that the recording process was tense because Donnelly wanted to leave the band, which produced tension even though they were sad about her departure. Furthermore, he added that producer Dennis Herring made a significant contribution but was also irritating during the studio development.

The album, released in 1991, achieved moderate success, driven by two singles in rotation on MTV: "Counting Backwards" and "Not too soon." Two of the best pop-rock tracks that subtly and instantaneously penetrate the mind. Remember the incredibly powerful "Hook in her head," a splendid pre-PJ Harvey gem bolstered by Narcizo's distinctive drum touch, a track that starts gently before unleashing its full grit, one of the album's high points. Additionally, "Ellen West" denounces anorexia, the harmonious delicacy of "Graffiti," the granitic "Red Shoes," "Honeychain," and the closing "Two steps," the quintessential ballads, delightful and alluring. The only tracks authored by Donnelly are "Not too soon" and "Honeychain"; everything else is the work of Hersh. Twelve pieces of timeless beauty that definitively consecrated the band as one of the best indie rock formations of the time. Unfortunately, a record currently difficult to find in stores, which deserves to be known even by those who did not experience (for age reasons) that musical period through a good reprint.

After "The Real Ramona," Throwing Muses continued to release albums with highs and lows, but certainly, one of the subsequent memorable works is the ever-reliable "University" from 1995.