Delicate vocals, pleasing melodies, and interesting direction for some tracks. However, majority of the album didn’t go anywhere, and never really evolved beyond one sound.
Loud, fast, and angry, it is no wonder that they are the founding of the Southern California punk scene. Punchy lyrics that are sadly still relevant 20 years later. Loses a little bit of steam near the end of the album, but overall the impact is unavoidable.
The influence on electronica is clear, with a mix of classic and beach rock guitar riffs, hip-hop drum beats, and electronic blips. Gave me a huge nostalgia hit of JSR, but overall not something I would listen to everyday.
What I think should be categorized as “emo folk”, haunting, cryptic lyrics over often a lone, plucking acoustic guitar. The language is evocative, which is good because the lyrics are the main draw. Excited to dive in further.
It’s pretty crazy to listen to a band seriously for the first time and realize one of your favorite bands took a lot of inspiration from them. A lot more twang and harmonica than expected, wandering riffs and solid drum work make this an instant yes for me. The only criticism is most songs run for just a little bit longer than I would like.
This album has often been recommended, and for good reason. A diverse collection of alternative rock tracks, with meaningful lyrics and pulsing riffs. Radiohead has been sitting on the list and I’m interested to listen to others.
While technically impressive, with pounding bongos and an impressive brass performance, it unfortunately didn’t manage to capture my attention for very long. I can see people being very into this, but it’s not for me.
The first thing that came to mind was a the music equivalent of a warm blanket. Velvety vocals, slick piano riffs, ripping harmonicas; it has it all. The gospel under/overtones can get a tad preachy, but otherwise a stellar album
Ahead of its time, this album presented a unique track list of diverse sounds. From high speed punk to slower blues-inspired ballads, truly encapsulating the alternative spirit. Vocals are serviceable, with one song even doing the high pitch vocal tweak which is more common nowadays. Honestly, probably should have been listening to this my whole life.
Eh, not for me.
Snazzy instrumentals, lots of brass, and an uplifting vibe weren’t enough to keep my interested. Felt quintessential of the time, but it did not resonate.
Definitely an interesting dark wave gothic album, with a droning tone of lyrics and crunchy guitars. Not an all time favorite but not bad.
