When The Levee Breaks

Kristin Hersh

Kristin Hersh | When The Levee Breaks

Two Step

Throwing Muses

Throwing Muses - Two Step

This track, which closes their album “The Real Ramona”, is the only track which has ever been credited as written by Throwing Muses and not either Hersh or Donelly. As Tanya left to form Belly following this LP, there’s something about this track that always just says “end of an era” to me. There’s something else curious about the song too - it’s so very much not a Throwing Muses song. It’s not as raw/energetic/grating/confronting as a track written by Hersh. Neither is it as pop-driven/accessible/bright as a track written by Donelly. I think the co-write here is spot on. It’s unequivocally a Muses track, and maybe it’s just because I’m looking for them but you can see the spawning here of both frontwomen’s future sounds. The squalling guitars here are as good as anything on Throwing Muses’ “University”, the simple and heartfelt execution on a par with Belly’s sublime “Stay”. It was the first Throwing Muses song to make me sit back and go “huh” because it truly felt greater than the sum of its parts. And what a set of parts.

two step behind the rest / one fingertip too long
a hole in the box they carry / spills sugar in the road