by Heather Phares
Possibly their finest album, Throwing Muses' fifth album, University, blends the rock power of Red Heaven, their first effort as a trio, with the shiny, surreal pop of The Real Ramona. The result is a collection of songs, like the album opener, &Bright Yellow Gun,& that are as ferociously kinetic as they are insinuatingly melodic. At first, Tanya Donelly's departure from the group might have been seen as a liability, but on this dreamy yet direct album, it's an asset: it gives Kristin Hersh room for her most wide-ranging collection of songs yet. &Start,& &Hazing,& &Shimmer,& and &Teller& are some of her most immediate, deceptively sweet punk-pop confections, rivalling previous Muses classics like &Counting Backwards& in their hooky intensity. Yet the delicate &Crabtown& and &Fever Few& reaffirm Hersh's finesse with brooding, folky melodies. &That's All You Wanted& and &Snakeface& remain two of the Muses' catchiest songs, and the driven &No Way in Hell& and &Flood& show that Hersh hasn't lost any of her edge. University's smooth, streamlined production adds a bit of sheen to Hersh's jagged, elliptical guitar lines and keening vocals, but doesn't rob either of its impact; if anything, the album's polish just heightens its flowing yet diverse sound. The album the Muses had been trying to make since Hunkpapa, University is as hypnotic as it is accessible.