Freak Magnet

The rockingest Femmes album returns!

Originally scheduled for a 1998 release on Interscope, Freak Magnet was pulled when the band was dropped from the label. Promo copies fetched upwards of $50 until the album was released in improved form by indie label Beyond in 2000. Beyond soon went under, leaving Freak Magnet in limbo once again. Now, Shout! Factory is reissuing an even more improved version of Freak Magnet—including bonus tracks—finally giving it the widespread exposure it deserves.

Formed in the early 1980s, the Violent Femmes and their folky, quirky, acoustic-driven take on power pop gained them a reputation as the freakish cousins of the then-massive new-wave movement. It also gave them quite a huge following, especially after the success of their debut. Their formula was simple: Gordon Gano's adenoidal whine and offbeat lyrics coupled with Brian Ritchie's frenzied acoustic bass and a simple, stripped down drum kit. Almost two decades later, their formula really hasn't changed much; Freak Magnet couldn't really have been performed by anyone other than the Violent Femmes. Gordon Gano still knows how to write great pop songs, and "Hollywood Is High," "Sleepwalkin'," or "New Generation" could have easily appeared on any previous Violent Femmes release. Freak Magnet is not the sound of a band maturing or exploring a new sound or even expanding on an old one; rather, it's the sound of a band comfortably within its element. After the feeble effort of 1994's New Times, Freak Magnet is a fantastic return to form. --Robert Burrow