Lou Barlow may be the guiding light behind Sebadoh, but history teaches us that sometimes somebody has to take the wheel in the absence of the frontman. Four years after Sebadoh reunited to record 2013's Defend Yourself (which in turn arrived 14 years after 1999's The Sebadoh), it doesn't look like Barlow is ready to give Sebadoh fans another album anytime soon. Thankfully, one of his partners in the band, Jason Loewenstein, has delivered the next best thing. Loewenstein's long-awaited second solo album, 2017's Spooky Action, much of the time sounds like a Sebadoh LP in the best of all possible ways. Spooky Action may lack some of the navel-gazing sadness of classic Sebadoh, but in terms of simple but engaging melodies with a ragged but right instrumental attack and a willingness to put emotions up front, Loewenstein has delivered just what you've been hoping for. Loewenstein plays all the instruments on Spooky Action, and he reveals himself to be an unexpected guitar hero on these sessions; if he's not indie rock's Jeff Beck, he knows how to come up with effective riffs, and he executes them with a crunchy enthusiasm that gives this a surprisingly high fun factor as he parades his six-string snazz along with a more than competent command of drums and bass. Loewenstein delivered Spooky Action 15 years after making his solo debut with At Sixes and Sevens in 2002, but if he was waiting for inspiration to strike, he picked the right time -- this album sounds fresh, committed, and muscular, and if this shows the influence of his work with Lou Barlow, the ultimate effect seems less like a rip-off and more like he's working within a style that's comfortable and works for him. And the results speak for themselves -- Spooky Action is rollicking exercise in high-impact lo-fi rock that should more than satisfy anyone who has dug any of Loewenstein's projects in the past.
© Mark Deming /TiVo