Unwound: Leaves Turn Inside You : Music Reviews : Rolling Stone

Album Reviews

Given all the egos and over indulgence in rock music lately, listening to an album as avowedly unassuming as Unwound's latest effort is like taking a walk in a peaceful park. The majority of the tunes on this, the band's long-awaited eighth studio album, are sly mixes of unencumbered rhythms, supple guitars and sheepish vocals that recall a pre-Murmur R.E.M. Yes, songs like "October All Over" and "Look a Ghost" demonstrate that Vern Rumsey and company can still kick out the art-punk jams Sonic Youth-style. But it's on the tunes where they get a little help from their friends -- like "Terminus," which boasts a playful string section -- that make this more than just another trip down indie rock lane. As a bonus, the album's seventy-odd minutes are spread over two discs, leaving room for a pair of music videos you won't see on TRL. (PAUL SEMEL -- April 17, 2001)