Adam recommended these guys via #286, and I had my misgivings. Adam and AMG compare them to the shaggs, who I didn't especially like. What I read also more generally suggested that I was in for a pretty unlistenable experience.
Granting that this is supposed to be their most accessible early album, this was a lot more pleasant than I was expecting. There's actually a lot of fun, loud, fast, punk rock, but with more heart, inventiveness and hookiness than I could have imagined, landing somewhere between Guided by Voices, The Cramps, Ween, The Velvet Underground and [some really specific punk band with crazy horn riffs I heard recently that I now can't remember]. The horns are a key move, providing a ragged, focused melodic.
The whole thing is pretty ramshackle, but not as formless as the band's reputation for unstructured technique would suggest. There's a certain no wave tunelessness, but its usually underneath enough structure and rock energy to keep it from ruining the song. I guess by now they'd gotten some others who knew how to play on board. There's totally real solos and real talented playing on display. As punk goes this is more Minutemen than Sex Pistols.
Pretty fun stuff, curious to backtrack to their more pure stuff and see if I can handle it 4/5
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