In Brief

* * * Superchunk, “On the Mouth,” Matador. With all the talk about major labels looking to sign the next Nirvana, it’s surprising that this North Carolina band wasn’t snatched in the hoopla. Superchunk began churning out its rousing, hook-laden indie singles in 1989, and here the band heightens the intensity--adding some dissonant textures to prove it’s more punk than pop--without neglecting the passion that made its previous work so engaging.

New albums are rated on a scale of one star (poor) to four (excellent).