Superchunk - Songs In The Key Of Yikes (Album Review)
Friday, 29 August 2025
Written by Tom Morgan
Photo: Alex Cox
Fridays can be cruel. Superchunk can attest to that, with their latest record emerging alongside Deftones’ stunning return, fascinating, critically-acclaimed oddities by Water From Your Eyes and Nourished By Time, and a surprise drop courtesy of one of the great modern rappers, Earl Sweatshirt. ‘Songs In The Key Of Yikes’ could easily feel like the runt of such a litter, but it’s to the amiable US indie rockers’ credit that it stands its ground.
The Chapel Hill four-piece’s last couple of albums have increasingly ploughed a socio-political lyrical furrow, chronicling the West’s current state of growing instability. In 2018, ‘What A Time To Be Alive’ tackled Trump 1.0-era madness, while 2022’s ‘Wild Loneliness’ probed pandemic chaos. ‘Songs In The Key Of Yikes’ looks at contemporary nihilism and despair.
This all sounds pretty heavy, but Superchunk continue to make some of the most upbeat indie-rock you’ll ever hear.
This makes for a fun juxtaposition, such as on the bouncy Care Less, which features lyrics about “stripping off the skin/until there's nothing left”. Similar sentiments are ushered in on buoyant tracks with titles like Everybody Dies and No Hope.
It makes for a pleasant listen. However, the easy-going, straightforward nature of Superchunk’s music does mean that you can only listen to a few of these songs before they start blurring into one — it’s such a simple and familiar approach that it doesn’t really leave much of a lasting impression. Nonetheless, the lyrics are great and remind you that, to quote Will Ferrell in Zoolander, you’re not the only person in the world right now “taking crazy pills”.
Superchunk Upcoming Tour Dates are as follows:
Fri September 05 2025 - RICHMOND Virginia - Richmond Music Hall (USA)
Tue September 09 2025 - WASHINGTON District Of Columbia - Black Cat (USA)
Wed September 10 2025 - ARDMORE Pennsylvania - Ardmore Music Hall (USA)
Thu September 11 2025 - NEW YORK New York - Bowery Ballroom (USA)
Fri September 12 2025 - SOMERVILLE Massachusetts - Crystal Ballroom at Somerville Theatre (USA)
Sat September 13 2025 - PORTSMOUTH New Hampshire - 3S Artspace (USA)
Sun September 14 2025 - WOODSTOCK New York - Bearsville Theater (USA)
Tue September 16 2025 - PITTSBURGH Pennsylvania - Thunderbird Cafe & Music Hall (USA)
Wed September 17 2025 - CLEVELAND HEIGHTS Ohio - Grog Shop (USA)
Thu September 18 2025 - KALAMAZOO Michigan - Bells Eccentric Cafe - Complex (USA)
Thu October 09 2025 - PIONEERTOWN California - Pappy and Harriets Pioneertown Palace (USA)
Mon October 13 2025 - ENGLEWOOD Colorado - Gothic Theatre (USA)
Tue October 14 2025 - SALT LAKE CITY Utah - Urban Lounge (USA)
Wed October 15 2025 - BOISE Idaho - Shrine Social Club (USA)
Fri October 17 2025 - SEATTLE Washington - Tractor (USA)
Sat October 18 2025 - PORTLAND Oregon - Mississippi Studios (USA)
Sun October 19 2025 - PORTLAND Oregon - Mississippi Studios (USA)
Tue October 21 2025 - SAN FRANCISCO California - THE INDEPENDENT (USA)
Thu October 23 2025 - LOS ANGELES California - Teragram Ballroom (USA)
Sat November 08 2025 - CHARLESTON South Carolina - Pour House Charleston (USA)
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