Sometimes the best and most healing thing you can do is make a bunch of noise, and
Janet Weiss
seems to know that. In 2019, after more than 20 years as a member of
Sleater-Kinney
,
Weiss
left the group over creative differences with her bandmates, and a month later she was in a serious auto accident that broke her collarbone and both legs.
' timing also meant that she was still getting back up to speed when the COVID-19 pandemic left her stranded at home and unable to play shows, even if she was feeling 100-percent again. So what did she do? She got in touch with her old friend
Sam Coomes
, her musical partner in their dormant project
Quasi
, and they got together for regular jamming and songwriting sessions. In time, the pair wrote enough songs for a new LP, and 2023's
Breaking the Balls of History
is the first album in ten years from this dynamic duo. And dynamic is just what it is -- these songs show
is again living up to her status as one of the best rock drummers on the planet, and you can feel the joy that comes from her being able to pummel a drum kit with her trademark level of muscle, precision, and imagination. Even better, she's doing so with a musician who is delighted to feed off her energy, and the roar of
Coomes
' heavily distorted keyboards (and occasional guitar overdubs) is a great match for
' forward momentum, boasting enough punch and pomp to stand tall in any context. The songs are splendid, full of clever, catchy melodies, and
' dramatic delivery is a great vehicle for his often topical and always quotable lyrics, taking on a variety of political and social maladies with a wit that's as charming as it is venomous. It wasn't uncommon for
to take long breaks between albums, given how many other commitments both
and
had on their plates, but it's hard not to be curiously grateful for the calamities that unwittingly made this reunion possible. It was clearly a fun and healing experience for the pair, and it's a fine thing to be reminded of how smart, how funny, and how pleasurable
can be when the spirit is with them. It was certainly there when the tape rolled for
. ~ Mark Deming