Mark these words: Bob Mould just made one of the best albums of his career, and certainly his best since breaking up Sugar in 1995. It's called "District Line," due Feb. 5 on Anti- Records. The first single, "The Silence Between Us," is a good example of what to expect: The classic Mould mold (bitter lyrics, biting guitars) with some acoustic layering, a wee bit of electronic flavor and some crashing percussion by Fugazi drummer Brendan Canty. The song was issued to iTunes with a live version of Sugar's "If I Can't Change Your Mind" for a B-side. Old material is great, but you're definitely going to want to hear the new stuff this time.

CHRIS RIEMENSCHNEIDER