Breeders – ‘The Last Splash’
As the 1980s drew to a close, the alt-rock giants Pixies were at the peak of their popularity. Their second album, Doolittle, cemented their reputation as one of the most exciting bands in American alternative rock at the time. However, the growing success came with growing tensions between Black Francis and bassist Kim Deal. So, in 1989, Deal formed The Breeders as a side project to Pixies, and, for a while, that’s all it was. Their debut, Pod, was well-received upon its release and was reportedly a favourite of grunge king Kurt Cobain, but the follow-up, The Last Splash, is the record that really put the band on the musical map.
The album opens with the effortlessly cool noise-pop of ‘New Year’, an underappreciated track that immediately lets the audience know what this record is all about. The moody, distorted guitar tones compliment Deal’s indifferent vocal delivery perfectly. A distinctly 1990s-sounding album, Last Splash clearly borrows influence from the grunge scene whilst retaining its own distinctive voice.
Although Pixies had folded by the time Last Splash dropped, there are hints on this album of what Deal was attempting to bring to the table in that band and how it was tragically ignored or diminished as the years went on. It is clear, upon listening to the album, that each song has been meticulously crafted, tried and tested to create a unique tone. Despite the distorted guitar sounds and clear grunge influence, there is no mistaking that Deal and The Breeders are an incredibly polished and musically skilled group operating at the top of their game.
The experimental nature of this album is incredibly refreshing, setting The Breeders apart from their contemporaries by incorporating elements of art rock, noise rock and even surf music. The latter of which is most prevalent on the track ‘No Aloha’, blending the twang of Hawaiian-influenced surf rock with a heavy bassline, almost reminiscent of Sonic Youth’s ‘Into the Groovey’, with startling results.
The vocals of Kim Deal, whilst enjoyable, maintain the same monotonous, moody tone for the vast majority of the album. As a result of this, the album is at risk of becoming a little samey feeling as it progresses through the tracklist, making tracks like ‘Flipside’ feel like an oasis of variety within the tone of the record. Embracing their punk roots, incorporating a sound not too dissimilar from pop-punk, on ‘Flipside’, the group showcase their more playful side before diving back into the dark and mysterious guitar-pedal-powered atmosphere inherent throughout the rest of the album.
As the record progresses into side two, The Breeders embrace more of their noise rock influence on ‘S.O.S.’, in addition to a more palatable mainstream sound on tracks like ‘Saints’. It is impressive for the album to have such a feeling of cohesion whilst simultaneously incorporating so many different elements. Not least on ‘Drivin’ on 9’, the late tracklist favourite which sees them adopt a country-esque sound, completely different to anything that had preceded it on Last Splash.
Although the band first formed as a side-project, Last Splash, in many ways, eclipsed Deal’s earlier work with Pixies and cemented her as one of the most unique and exciting voices in 1990s alt-rock.
