Superchunk’s Wild Loneliness reaffirms the band’s place in the pantheon of indie-rock greats
It’s one of the long-running group’s most tender albums, but some sly lyricism lends a brittle edge to all the endlessly catchy hooks

Mac McCaughan sounds really, really tired of being angry and frustrated all the time. It’s arguably the most relatable sentiment on Wild Loneliness, Superchunk’s newest—and most contemplative—album yet. Who among us, after four years of the Trump administration and two years (and counting) of the greatest public health crisis in a century, isn’t exhausted? If there’s a common thread to so many of the memes, blog posts, and expressions of mental health issues that so many people turn to daily in an effort to find some common ground and inspiration, it’s that daily life has been a grueling ordeal for awhile now.
In that vein, the songs on the band’s 12th album (not including essential compilation releases Tossing Seeds and Incidental Music) speak to the listener in a manner that’s direct even for a heart-on-sleeve romantic like McCaughan. After 2018’s What A Time To Be Alive emitted such a cry of anger, perhaps the change of pace—slower tempos, sunnier melodies, reflective themes—is inevitable. Being pissed-off can feel good (and cathartic, when paired with such barn-burning songs), but it’s harder to embrace those emotions in the long run. At the end of the day, when you’ve expended your allotment of anger, what’s left? That’s where Wild Loneliness comes in.
The difficulty of processing uncertain emotions—and not the “Oh, I’m so passionate, help me” ennui of your average pop song—is the driving theme behind the record. It announces itself clear as day on the title track’s lyrics: “When there’s nowhere left to grind your axe / how do we even think about that?” Then, a damn sax solo erupts. Bet old-school fans of the group didn’t see this coming back when they were head-banging to “Slack Motherfucker,” but it suits Superchunk—McCaughan always sounded a bit like a weary soul, and with this collection of songs about finding meaning in what comes after anger, his worldly sensibilities find an ideal match.
Right out of the mellow gate, the band announces its back in the gentler territory of Here’s To Shutting Up, as “City Of The Dead” kicks off with strings, shakers, and one of the sweetest and simplest beginning to a ‘Chunk record since “Late-Century Dream.” As distorted guitars peal after the first line and McCaughan sings, “So many things you can’t undo / Well you can only push through,” the album is bringing in sweetness to counter the dark clouds.