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It plays much like a continuation of "Body Of Song," with the electronic elements even more streamlined and less obtrusive, save on the all-electronic 'Shelter Me.'
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It's a consolidation of Mould's considerable strengths, an album that showcases his gifts as a writer and record-maker, one that touches upon almost every phase of his career, yet it's filtered through a maturity that feels vital because of its unadorned honesty.
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District Line, Mould's seventh solo album, is a swell follow-up to his bracing 2005 return-to-rockishness record "Body of Song."
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Mould comes full circle on District Line, marrying his distant acoustic past to his current path and it seems as if he has found a happy medium.
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District Line is a fine showcase for the differing sides of ex-Hüsker Dü/Sugar frontman Bob Mould's repertoire.
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District Line is essentially the same furiously melodic pop Mould played way back when. [Feb 2008, p.98]
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MojoDistrict Line is Mould's strongest song collection since Sugar's alt-rock paradigm, "Copper Blue." [Mar 2008, p.102]
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For the most part, he sounds fresh-faced and ready to charge back into the fray.
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This album is an extremely provocative effort.
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The keyboards that colored his swan dive into dance music before he re-embraced rock with 2005’s Body of Song are simply another subtle layer of muscle for this sinewy disc.
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A solid if not completely earth-shattering act of restitution for loyal Bob-watchers
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District Line delivers the latest dissertation in cross-pollination and like past projects it’s a bit of a Frankenstein affair.
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District Line is a focused, gripping zigzag between fury and woe, scorched rock and folk-pop distress, much like the Hüskers' best records--now with a longer view.
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Under The RadarHis latest contains some of the best guitar rock songs he's written in 15 years. [Winter 2008, p.88]
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Alternative PressThe classic Mould you've sought is (mostly) back. [Mar 2008, p.145]
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Perhaps it's fair to say that sometimes it all sounds a little too comfortable for, erm, comfort (the line "growing old, it's hard to be an angry young man" is pretty telling).
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It's not that it lacks tension--indeed, almost every song touches on relationship strife--it's just that the squabbles are gentle, the rage subdued.
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Though rather generic--grainy emoting; overwrought lyrics; crisp guitar-driven pop--at least Mould can claim that he virtually invented this stuff.
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Mould's ability with melody is much in evidence throughout District Line - there's a particularly glorious example on the closing 'Walls in Time'--though it's occasionally hard to escape the uncomfortable sensation of an artist trapped somewhere between his own urges and his audience's expectations.
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UncutIt's as convincing and heartfelt as anything else here--and suggests that by incorporating disco into the rest of his music, even better things may lie ahead. [Mar 2008, p.96]
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Q MagazineThis is his most pleasing solo album for a decade. [Mar 2008, p.108]
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While District Line is by no means a classic, it’s a decent addition to the catalogue of a man who could’ve lived out the rest of his days without lifting another finger
User score distribution:
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Positive: 9 out of 10
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Mixed: 0 out of 10
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Negative: 1 out of 10
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AndrewFeb 17, 2008A good listen. Not edgy, but enjoyable.
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[Anonymous]Feb 14, 2008It's a return to form for Mould and hits the highs of Sugar.
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EFeb 12, 2008