Have been hearing a lot of devo-inspired surf rock lately, so I thought I'd check this out, having never heard this, their first album.
I remember seeing Devo on a punk compilation (albeit the expansive, 4-disc No Thanks) and saying "Devo isnt punk!" thinking mostly of Whip It and while this question gets into overlaps of punk, new wave and post punk, I can see the argument. This album's got a confrontational, propulsive, occasional maniacal, often ugly energy that give it plenty of punk spirit if you're willing to cast the net wide enough. They're certainly no more pop than the buzzcocks or the new york dolls.
Anyway! This album, as summed up above, is before the poppier quirkiness of Whip It: lots of shouting and pounding and some groovy guitars, with a frustrated urgency that makes it tense fun. Its listenable enough, a huge influence on many bands I like, vaguely inscrutable, and strangely sort of cool - I think my rating will go up or down significantly when all is said and done, but I will definitely be back. For now: 4/5
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