The Breeders
– Last Splash
Kim Deal didn’t so much write a follow-up to Pod as she detonated it and rebuilt from the wreckage with a wicked grin. Last Splash isn’t neat, and thank God for that. It’s a loud, twisted, day-glo collage of surf riffs, punk guts, and indie slack, stitched together with a kind of glorious shrug. You get the sense this band isn’t chasing hits—they’re chasing whatever makes them laugh, twitch, or snarl in a way that feels real.
Best of…
The record constantly feels like it’s about to unravel, and that tension is part of its charm. Songs start one way, veer off, loop around, and land somewhere unexpected. Kelley Deal’s guitar work slices sideways through the mix, and Josephine Wiggs keeps the low-end punchy but never plodding. Meanwhile, Kim’s voice—equal parts sugar and scorn—sounds like it knows more than it’s telling. There’s no grand mission here, just a series of left turns delivered with sly confidence.
If Last Splash has a secret weapon, it’s how much fun it has being weird. No track feels pinned down, yet everything connects through sheer attitude. It’s the sound of a band trusting their instincts, even when those instincts say, “Let’s throw a steel drum in here and see what happens.” It shouldn’t work—but it does, over and over.
Choice Tracks
Cannonball
That opening bassline stutters in like it tripped over its own shoelaces—and from there, it’s chaos in the best sense. Kim’s vocal is half-whisper, half-taunt, and the song’s hook hits like a water balloon full of glitter and gasoline. Totally unrepeatable.
No Aloha
Starts like a dream and ends like a threat. The steel guitar gives it an eerie shimmer, and Kim floats over it like she’s sleepwalking through a break-up. There’s beauty in its disjointedness—a postcard with the edges burned.
Divine Hammer
The most straightforward track here, but still crooked enough to belong. Sweet vocals, jangle-pop guitars, and just a little grit underneath. It’s the sound of indie rock making out with bubblegum and pretending not to care.
Do You Love Me Now?
A mid-tempo slow burn that cuts deep. Kim sounds exposed, tired, and daring someone to call her bluff. There’s a kind of emotional stillness to it that lingers long after the track ends. Vulnerability disguised as indifference.
Saints
Big, fuzzy guitars crash against a bouncy rhythm that shouldn’t make sense—but does. It sounds like a backyard party on a radio from Mars. Pure adrenaline, no polish.
Last Splash is messy, brilliant, and weird in all the right ways. The Breeders swing between pop hooks and sonic experiments without blinking, and it all lands. It’s the kind of album that shrugs off expectations and dances in its own noise.