And no one's more surprised about that than me.
The Bangles have a new record, which drops today. You can get it at all the usual places, plus there's a single streaming at MTV's Hive. Recorded with Matthew Sweet, Sweetheart of the Sun is supposed to be a return to the folkier Bangles, leaving aside their foray into mainstream pop in the mid-80s.
While Sweetheart finds the group covering two Nuggets-era garage rock tracks, lead single “I Will Never Be Through With You” recalls the delicate melodies of the Byrds and Big Star. They may always be known to some as “that Egyptian band,” but Sweetheart is a sound attempt at breaking out of that fossilized shell of their former selves.
It's a beautiful song, and I'm quite taken with it.
I ignored the Bangles for a little while: though I was never much of a hipster, and I adored "Hero Takes a Fall," I was in college during the Egyptian phase and the Eternal Flameout, and so had that college student disdain for all things popular. I hope they made a gazillion dollars, though. It took a while for me to get back to them: by the time I was done with grad school, Susanna Hoffs was doing stuff with Matthew Sweet and I had gotten over my cool snit.
It's nice to see them recording again.
