Super-groups usually end up disappointing high hops, being less than the sum of their super parts, and only lasting for an album or so. Yes, there were a few in the seventies that delivered output & time, but mostly they’re just a footnote in each artist’s individual resume. But indie-rock super-groups have a way of inverting expectations, as even their biggest members are not big rock stars, few expect regular indie-rock acts be able to last long, egos don’t get in the way of things, and both fans & artists are more up for new, interesting things. Emmett Kelly (Cairo Gang), Stephen Malkmus (Pavement & Jicks), Matt Sweeney (Chavez), and Jim White (Dirty Three) form the both interesting and relaxed Hard Quartet.
The Hard Quartet is not about bold/mad experimentation or ‘reinventing rock,’ but rather reviving the enjoyable, meandering roots of why you picked up an instrument in the first place. The songs can take their time going nowhere, but these are artists who know that the journey is the point, to have a good time getting said nowhere. As the most famous of the group, Malkmus’ voice & contributions stand out the most, from opener “Chrome Mass” sounding like one of his wry pieces with his Jicks, or “Hey” going sad, late-period Pavement. Sweeney’s lo-fi nature on “Our Hometown Boy” or “It Suits You” brings to mind another indie-rock supergroup, Sebadoh (a great comparison to have, just based on that outfit’s rare longevity).
You’re not gonna find the next great alternative hit that’s gonna storm the charts like it’s the nineties on The Hard Quartet, but that’s clearly not what its setting out to do. Just some long-time friends having fun making music, like it should be.
