In 2012, the secret EP announced the surprise return of cult favourites Sebadoh to active duty. It was an auspicious return and it was followed up, in 2013, with the well-received defend yourself, a record that somehow managed to appear at number one on the “New Alternative Artists” Billboard Chart – something which must have amused a band that, hiatus notwithstanding, was approaching its third decade. Nonetheless, as good as defend yourself was, nothing quite prepared fans for act surprised. From the blistering, Jason-penned opener of phantom, through to the elegant closing bars of Lou’s Reykjavik, Act Surprised is, quite simply, the band’s finest hour since the still-remarkable Harmacy. A wonderfully varied album that performs all manner of twists and turns over the course of its fifteen tracks, Act Surprised is an absolute delight and a highlight of the band’s impressive back catalogue.
Do you remember the rush the first time you heard Crystal Gypsy? You do? Well, that’s good, because the crazed, amphetamine-rush of phantom carries the exact same, punk-fuelled rush and it does not so much start the album off as launch it at the listener like a missile. Lou’s up next with the shimmering beauty of celebrate the void, the best Folk Implosion song that Sebadoh have ever produced, his voice cracking as the lazy beat lopes around a slacker chorus that worms its way under the skin and remains there. In contrast, the angular rock of Jason’s follow the breath layers guitar upon guitar, the speakers rattling as their age-worn cones give way under the barrage of distortion. Not that Lou is to be trifled with when he gets his blood up. The surf-flecked medicate places a virile bassline under lyrics that reference the pitfalls of anti-depressants. It’s followed up by the whimsical see-saw, a fast-paced ditty that seems to dance and caper in the rain. Jason’s back with the gruelling vacation, a track that lulls the listener into a false sense of security with its Pixies-esque verse before suddenly performing a stylistic volte face, screaming into the void with surprising rage. The first half of the album concludes with stunned, another Jason track that rocks with considerable vigour, only to suddenly head off down a Sonic Youth side-road, daring the listener to follow as it dances, always out of reach, and always with a sardonic smile.
Opening up the second side of the album, Lou’s fool has a nursery-rhyme feel, the gentle yearning of Lou’s vocals recalling the ramshackle romance of Neil Young during his rust never sleeps period. Contrarily named, raging river sees Jason offering up a slower track that tips a nod towards the college-rock of early R.E.M. and Soul Asylum. It’s a classic Sebadoh, boasting a memorable melody and a sting in the tail, boosted no end by the sensitive production of Justin Pizzoferato, who really brings out the best in the band’s guitars. Sunshine is another whimsical piece, the nimble guitar work stepping lightly around the beat in a manner not unlike Fugazi’s latter day instrumental material. Lou’s voice, so familiar and so comforting, continues to guide the listener between the lines and the chorus is truly to die for. Jason’s title track opens with a naked guitar before Bob D’Amico’s propulsive drums drives everything forward on a punky trip. Even better is the grinding battery, which keeps the pace taut in preparation for the sun-kissed riffs of Lou’s belief. Bob D’Amico offers up just one song, in the form of leap year, but it’s a great track, filled with gleeful energy and elastic bass. It leaves Lou to have the last word with Reykjavik, a subtle, evocative piece that brings the record to a gentle close.
Over the last week I’ve listened to Act Surprised a lot. At first, I couldn’t quite bring myself to write a review because I couldn’t quite believe how good it was. Justin Pizzoferrato deserves a good deal of credit because, alongside the remarkable strength of the band’s song-writing, he has brought considerable clarity and power to the mix, separating out the layers of distortion and allowing the vocals to shine through the mix. As with the best of Sebadoh’s work, the album explores the wide possibilities of Americana, but there’s a coherence to the sequencing and a joy in the playing that makes you hang on every note. Act Surprised may well be the album of the year (it’s certainly high on the list), but then, with such a legacy, perhaps the surprise is not so great after all. 9.5
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