Product Review
50 Foot Wave is the mark of a woman without a shred of complacency. Former Throwing Muses front-woman Kristin Hersh is back after years of solo work and sporadic reunions. This new project finds Hersh, along with Muses bassist Bernard Georges and new drummer Rob Ahlers, cranking up and streamlining. Their self-titled EP debut was a 16 minute blast of punk rock aggression matched with Hersh's lyrical dexterity and intense vocal approach. Golden Ocean extends the formula to end up with 11 songs in 35 minutes. Always a master of idiosyncratic connections, Hersh combines disparate elements into cohesive songs, giving the listener a new view of the world--or at least insight into hers. "Long Painting," "Dog Days," "Ginger Park," and "Clara Bow" are all good examples of her fury born of experience. In fact, nearly all the songs here deal with the life-learned oxymoron of, "the more you know, the less you know". Both angry and affirming, this release shows a band gaining strength with each offering. --Robert Arambel
