Cup of Sand
Label: Merge
Media: CD
Format: Album
WorkNameSort: Cup of Sand
Superchunk’s new double-disc clearinghouse pulls together unreleased outtakes, B-sides and soundtrack souvenirs from a band that defined the “indie rock” genre. After the band’s creative peak in 1997 with the stunning “Indoor Living,” Superchunk became an institution, putting different twists on the same album year after year — hell, this marks their third singles-and-rarities compilation! If you’re still paying attention after these 13 august years, eight full-lengths, countless EPs and singles, then you’re precisely at whom this collection is aimed. Goofy covers and laconic liner notes make “Cup of Sand” too obscure for the cursory ‘Chunk enthusiast, or even the first-time listener, but the faithful will find “Cup of Sand” a welcome addition to an already lengthy and durable discography.
This article appears in Aug 20-26, 2003.