On 1990's
Pastoral Hide & Seek,
Jeffrey Lee Pierce had promoted himself to lead guitar (
Kid Congo Powers was still on hand to provide slide licks), and his concise, stripped-down guitar lines lead the band away from the blues structures of their earlier work and into a leaner, more contemporary R&B-styled direction (especially on "St. John's Divine" and "The Straits of Love and Hate"), though the passion and attack of the band is still pure rock & roll throughout. While
Pierce's vocals aren't quite as strong as on the preceding album,
Mother Juno, his songwriting chops were in fine form.
Pastoral Hide & Seek is low-key
Gun Club, but beneath its subtle surface it's as committed and heartfelt as anything in the band's catalog.