I Hate Music

When I first heard that Superchunk’s new album was going to be called I Hate Music I became very curious as to what the reason behind the line was going to be.  It is not a sentiment that you would expect from a band that has been around for 24 years and who have their own record label. However, I couldn’t wait to hear the new music that one of my favourite bands had to offer and let me tell you I was not disappointed.

The first time that I listened to Me & You & Jackie Mittoo, which is the song where the album title comes from, I knew that this song was something special. At the time I hadn’t even grasped what the song was truly about, it just grabbed me in that way that all my favourite songs do.

As I continued to listen to the album I started to notice that quite a few of the songs were about dealing with loosing someone close to you. I went back and listened to the album while reading along with the lyrics and I discovered some incredibly well written words. Which brings us back to Me & You and Jack Mittoo and just why I Hate Music is such a great title for this album.

“I hate music – what is it worth?

Can’t bring anyone back to this earth

Or fill in the space between all of the notes

But I got nothing else so I guess here we go…”

I think that this one verse really explains it all. The singer is talking about someone that he lost and how he feels like nothing, not even music, can fix it. Then the singer says that music is all that he has left so might as well. The next bit of the song is a memory, one that the singer shared with the person who had passed. Music was an important part of the time that he spent with the two other people mentioned in the song and while listening to music and making music is cathartic to him it is also very difficult because it brings up all these memories that make him miss his friend. In the end the singer continues to struggle and states “I hate music – what is worth, it can’t bring you back to this earth”.

The music might not be what you would expect at first from such an introspective song, but I feel like it conveys the sentiment so well. It starts off with just the guitar riff, which is super catchy, and then the drums and bass come in to fill out the sound. This song makes me want to get up and rock out, which I sort of think is the point. The music is making you love the song, which in turns makes you love music, while you are hearing the words “I hate music”. It brings such an interesting level to the song that blows my mind.

The entire I Hate Music album is full of songs that are just as great as Me & You & Jackie Mittoo and I strongly recommend that you take some time to listen to it.