Kim Deal – ‘Are You Mine’
Are You Mine? is the debut solo track by former Pixies and Breeders bass player and guitarist Kim Deal, 20 years after the first, and notoriously acrimonious, dissolution of the ‘Where Is My Mind’ architects.
Having attained cult hero status by playing with these acts, expectations among her fans is undoubtedly pretty high. Admittedly, only having a relatively superficial understanding of Kim Deal’s output during her 25 year career, I was unsure what to expect yet, eager to find out.
The song has a vocal with a lyric and melody so simple and repetitive it could almost be a nursery rhyme or a lullaby, the sparse arrangement and minimalist instrumentation, fused with the laconic, dispassionate vocal, give this song beautifully haunting, bitter-sweet atmosphere.
Deal purveys great discipline in not crowding out the track with anything to distract the listener from its airy atmosphere and, consequently, nothing sounds out-of-place, ensuring space and clarity in its production. These factors combine to give this track a 1960s baroque feel, reminiscent of The Velvet Underground circa 1968, and the Velvets comparisons are difficult to ignore, not least because the vocal has more than just echoes of Nico, layered to give it a ghostly quality which complements the song perfectly.
All in all, while ‘Are You Mine’ may not be massively original or innovative, it’s nerveless a well-executed piece of minimalist chamber-esque music of a quality which we can only hope Kim Deal’s future solo releases emulate.
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