When the Pixies embarked on their 1988 debut studio album, they chose Steve Albini to engineer "Surfer Rosa," a seminal alternative record that includes the enduring hit, "Where Is My Mind?" This experience proved mutually beneficial for both parties and laid the foundation for a decades-long friendship between the prickly Albini and Kim Deal, the band's bassist at that time. Nearly 35 years later, just before the acclaimed audio engineer passed away in May at the age of 61, Deal once again turned to Albini for their final collaboration, this time for another debut. Eight out of the 11 tracks on Deal's first solo studio album, "Nobody Loves You More," were produced by both Albini and Deal, creating the ideal partnership of his experimentation and her musical skill.

Kim Deal's Musical Identity

Deal's music has always been a captivating blend. It reflects the rugged exterior required to be a woman at the forefront of the 1990s alternative rock scene while also harboring a tenderness that subverts the indifference often associated with that same scene. These seemingly contrasting features come together in "Nobody Loves You More" through her poignant lyricism and the unique instrumentation woven throughout the record. At its core, this is undeniably a rock album, and Deal is perfectly suited to bring it to life.The album's final track, "A Good Time Pushed," masterfully captures the fine line between doom and joy. As she repeatedly sings, "We're having a good time," it seems as if she is trying to convince herself of this. Although there is a continuity between this album and the music of the Pixies and Deal's band The Breeders, there are also distinct aspects.The resounding brass instruments on the title track and "Coast," along with the orchestra featured on "Summerland," mark a departure from the traditional rock instrumentation that many listeners have come to associate with the 63-year-old. As the album title suggests, much of the songs on "Nobody Loves You More" are lyrically earnest and romantic. Deal croons on the doo-wop-inspired "Are You Mine?" with lines like "Are you mine?/Are you my baby?/I have no mind/For nothin but love."There are anomalies as well. For instance, in the drum- and synth-heavy "Big Ben Beat," which evokes rocker Kim Gordon's electronic pivot in 2024's "The Collective." This track was produced only by Deal, not Albini.As a whole, "Nobody Loves You More" is a diverse album, as distinctly American as the various locations that inspired it. From the Massachusetts island of Nantucket (the breezy sounds of "Coast") to the Florida Keys ("Summerland") to Deal's hometown of Dayton, Ohio, each track carries a unique flavor.Fans of the Pixies and The Breeders will find a lot to love in this album. It is both familiar, with its underlying rock essence, and different, with its unique elements and collaborations. It showcases Deal's growth and evolution as an artist and stands as a testament to her musical talent.