Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania is an album by the American band Pere Ubu, released in 1998. The album marked Tom Herman's return to Pere Ubu's studio work after a twenty-year absence. It is a loose concept album about geography, travel, and road trips. Guitarist Wayne Kramer joined the band's tour in support of the album. Critical reception The Hartford Courant thought that "in many ways, the band is more focused than ever on its new Pennsylvania, churning up compelling guitar tracks while Thomas sings or often speaks over the top of tracks: weary, wary, compelling in his observations." The Chicago Tribune determined that "though a little less hook-oriented than its predecessor, Pennsylvania finds the band cloaking David Thomas' delirious visions of America in a claustrophobic yet compelling cubist blues-rock that could have emanated from no other band in the world." Stereo Review opined that "the acoustic/slide-guitar mix in 'SAD.TXT' is downright Zeppelinesque, and in 'Woolie Bullie' ... Ubu locks into a monolithic, pounding riff that may be the dumbest thing these folks have ever played, and it sounds great."