“In the early stages of writing this album, I envisioned ‘Neanderthal’ as the opening track,” says Bob Mould. “I imagined a child raised in an unstable home, perpetually exposed to erratic and confrontational behavior. A fight or flight situation. ‘Neanderthal’ is a frantic sprint through darkened hallways littered with tension, conflict, and aggression. A claustrophobic maze of distorted mirrors. As the song nears the end, a pair of subconscious voices appear. The first voice is both soothing and unsettling, while the final voice is reactionary and violent. It’s a fight or flight song.”
Produced by Mould at Chicago, IL’s famed Electrical Audio in early 2024 and then finished and mixed at Oakland, CA’s Tiny Telephone with longtime collaborator Beau Sorenson engineering, ‘Here We Go Crazy’ once again features backing by the crack rhythm section of drummer Jon Wurster and bassist Jason Narducy, and together the trio bring a bracing attack to eleven new Bob Mould songs. “On the surface, this is a group of straightforward guitar pop songs. I’m refining my primary sound and style through simplicity, brevity, and clarity,” Mould says, “Under the hood, there’s a number of contrasting themes. Control and chaos, hypervigilance and helplessness, uncertainly and unconditional love.”