Houdini
Houdini makes the Melvins' strange heaviness relatively accessible. Riffs have clearer shapes, and some songs possess a directness that comes close to ordinary rock. That remains only part of the story. Buzz Osborne and Dale Crover preserve enough awkward angles and unexpected movement to keep the album recognisably their own.
Hooch makes a strong opening. Crover's drums establish the song before the guitar begins its heavy pattern. The rhythm gives that simple movement character. Changes in emphasis make the riff land differently each time.
Night Goat chooses a much more dragging feel. The music keeps circling its riff and turns that restriction into something threatening. The low guitars have ample room to work. Honey Bucket then heads in a different direction. The short, fierce attack brings out the punk side, with urgent guitars and drums that push as convincingly as in the slow passages.
Those differences matter more than a tidy route from beginning to end. The album allows experiments that do not all work equally well. The extended percussion closer Spread Eagle Beagle especially demands more patience than the best songs require. Freedom costs the record some coherence there.
Yet that unpredictability also helps explain why Houdini is so convincing. The band write recognisable riffs without committing to a comfortable shape. Crover remains a defining musical voice beside the guitar. At their best, the Melvins combine force and strangeness so naturally that the less focused passages cannot overshadow the album. Its strongest songs are immediate enough to welcome new listeners while keeping the band's peculiar character intact.
