Heart-wrenching tragedy (Carrie Brownstein’s mother and stepfather were killed in an auto accident) and disillusionment with the zeitgeist has coaxed out some of the most heartfelt and resonant songs of Sleater-Kinney’s decades-long career. Like the horrors of tragedy itself, the deceptively still “Hell” eviscerates the quiet, unleashing Corin Tucker’s masterful caterwaul. “Needlessly Wild” is classic punk, while “Say It Like You Mean It” soars, as broad and ardent as any Springsteen ballad. “Hunt You Down” and “Small Finds” have an irresistible drive, while “Crusader” is essential. “You’re burning all the books in this town/But you can’t destroy the words in our mouths/So do yourself a little favor/No one asked for a crusader.” Little Rope is Sleater-Kinney at the band’s most introspective and audacious best.
Image via Loma Vista
