I got into this band around 1993 or so when they were being played on MTV. Never really done my due diligence and listened to the older stuff until now. There's no getting around Mascis's voice; you either like it or you probably want to rip your own ears off and feed them to an actual dinosaur. And that's way more pronounced on this album than any of the stuff from the 90s onward. It works for me. The guitars have always been the thing that pulled me in and there's some stuff on here that rips. ("Sludgefeast," "Lose," "Tarpit.") It sounds like the instruments are all covered in a wet blanket because of the production, but it still feels loud and raw and big. And about as far removed from any kind of popular rock music in 1987 as possible. It's music you think you can make in your basement. And maybe can! There's something approachable to it. And a good yin to yesterday's Yes yang. (Say that ten times fast.)