As Bob Mould prepares to release the 17th record of his near 20-year career with "Last Dog and Pony Show" on August 25, the ex-Husker Du and Sugar frontman finds himself at yet another crossroads -- and this time, the path he intends to take may surprise even his most hardcore fans.

Mould has announced that the tour to support "Pony" will be his last with a full electric backing band, and that he intends to move away from the trademark sonic gale unleashed on his earlier solo and group efforts.

On the first single, "Who Was Around," Mould does, however, revisit the subject of disaffected and disenchanted youth and their after-effects -- topics he explored to great success on Husker Du's classic album, "Zen Arcade."

"'Who Was Around' was written from the perspective of a child," Mould said, "who at a certain point in their life realizes that none of their needs are being met at all by their parental units, whether that be parents, grandparents or whomever their keepers are."

"It can also be viewed from the perspective of an adult who finally realizes these things way too late," Mould added, "and that they were left very ill-equipped to deal [with life]. I don't think it's an uncommon thing. I certainly don't thing it's uncommon amongst people 35 years and down in age, those that were raised by television rather than on television." [800k QuickTime]

Mould will begin rehearsing with his new band for the road next week, and plans to launch his last electric tour with a full band right after Labor Day.