All artists need to grow, but there's a fine line between a healthy eclecticism and wandering all over the place just because you can. Elvis Costello crossed the line many years ago and - judging by recent interviews - may never come back. Mould, the one-time front man of both Hüsker Dü and Sugar, also crossed the line when he swapped emotive rock for techno. A visionary in the former area, he is a journeyman in the latter. So, the good news for fans is that District Line signals a return to what Mould does best, and the opening salvos of Stupid Now and Who Needs to Dream? suggest a real return to form. Sadly, the album then loses its way under a production that features too much gloss and some unnecessary nods to his techno era.
Beggars Banquet BBQCD258