Joyful Noise
Sebadoh’s 10th album Defend Yourself is being promoted as the band’s first new full-length in 14 years. But if you’re a Loobiecore follower you’d know that the return of Sebadoh has been 10 years in the making thanks to Lou Barlow and Jason Loewenstein reteaming back in 2003 for their Turbo Acoustic tour along with the original lineup tours and ongoing reissue campaign.
Still Defend Yourself is worth some excitement. Written during the aftermath of Barlow’s divorce he wears his “emo O.G.” badge proudly filling the heartbreak quotient by showing that he will survive on lead single “I Will” but also occasionally crumbling to pieces as he does on “Let It Out.”
They’ve admittedly stuck to the formula: Defend Yourself was self-recorded at home and flips between Barlow and Loewenstein compositions. And as usual the former brings the heartbreak while the latter brings the ruckus with Jason crashing through “Beat” and “Defend yr Self” with his usual abandon. The charge of “State of Mine” meanwhile would win a competition for the most Sebadoh-sounding Sebadoh song ever put to tape.
All in all Defend Yourself sounds like any other Sebadoh record and any fan should be pleased with it.
