Last Splash

Even with heaps of acclaim, this LP has still always felt under-appreciated to me. There’s more than a touch of genius in taking the distinctly American feel of surf rock and twisting it into a grungier, self-aware version of itself, and it’s a potent niche that no other album has managed to occupy. The whole thing seems to flow like a wave, the instrumentals light and bouncy up until they crash into each other for some explosive choruses. Huge range in the songwriting as well – Kim Deal knows how to write an excellent track, and I think we’re all the better she escaped the shadow of Pixies before it was too late.