Unwound - Unwound (Album Review)

 

Unwound - Unwound

(1995)


My copy: 2023 limited reissue on rising blood vinyl by Numero Group.


Unwound began initially as the trio known as Giant Henry; with a hardcore sound more reminiscent of the Dischord bands of the 80s. Though Unwound didn’t release until 1995 (after Fake Train) and did not feature Sarah Lund on drums, it is technically the first true Unwound album, having been recorded in 1992. 

“Antifreeze” is immediately more obvious in its direction than Fake Train’s “Dragnalus,”though a more immediate payoff is found in the dynamic chugging and anthemic shouting. “Rising Blood” is a pointed shuffle with dueling guitars and lots of tremolo while “Understand & Forget” embraces confrontational punk rock. “Fingertips” is the obligatory melodic Sonic Youth style track that is mandatory for all noisy post-hardcore bands of the era, though echoes of a bright future can be clearly heard in these choices. 

“You Bite My Tongue” thrashes about with more tremolo, showing that the distorted guitars are the main draw of the album. The bass is punchy and compliments the riffing nicely, but the drums are a bit static and the production isn’t charmingly sloppy as with Fake Train. “Stuck In The Middle Of Nowhere Again” nails a dark, heavy mood with slithering basslines and slow building chords, eventually molting its emotion to reveal a sharp, urgent rhythm. The breakdowns are also set ablaze with piercing harmonics. “Warmth” and “Prospect” are simple enough, though the latter is a bit too obscured by noise and lo-fi mixing to deliver. 

More bright harmonics communicate across stereo channels on “Kid Is Gone” before the bass introduces dissonance, blowing out the proverbial candles as the song is dunked into a dark frenzy with demonic lyrics. “Kandy Korn Rituals” feels long compared to the other tracks, though the atmospheric feedback and unhinged energy allow it to stand out. The final track reinvents its own riffs in denser manners, ultimately closing on its heaviest riff. 

While it’s certainly no Fake Train, their “lost” self-titled debut is an extremely interesting hold over from the Giant Henry days. It marks a transitional phase, from when the band were more interested in typical hardcore. While Unwound is good, it’s definitely for the best that they shifted directions into more eclectic compositions.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

What Makes an Album Great

Image
            Great albums should leave lasting impressions, not only on those who listen as non-musicians, but also on the realm of music these albums occupy. In other words, a musical project should seek to leave some distinct mark on it's genre, to lay claim to some form of unique personality; this can often come in many forms, ranging from broad sound choices to subtle production techniques. This method for evaluating music seeks to make complacency the enemy, and forward movement the desired goal. This is not to say that all derivative albums are necessarily bad, as of course, outliers will always exist. Rather, the goal of an artist should, intrinsically, be to leave some reflection of their own condition, regardless of how relatable those emotions may or may not be. In music, this can be achieved in multiple ways, however I will focus on three aspects that I find particularly important when listening to music.      When co...
Read more

Oneohtrix Point Never - Again (Album Review)

Image
  Oneohtrix Point Never - Again (2023) My copy: 2023 limited press on orange transparent vinyl by Warp Records. Having built a strong reputation across a multitude of electronic projects, Daniel Lopatin now cashes in on his modern influence to compile what is likely his most ambitious project yet. Spanning over an hour, Again picks up where 2017’s Garden Of Delete left off, for better and for worse. Even with lush string arrangements and big-name features, Lopatin is unable to prevent Again from falling victim to some serious bloat. Anxiety immediately unravels in the orchestral “Elseware” though this introductory track quickly straightens out into a beguiling arrangement that is unlike any “typical” Oneohtrix track. The ritual “Again” then dives headfirst into Lopatin’s usual world of chittering robots and droning vocal mimicry. Things begin more explorative - descending into the depths of some synthesized hell before fading and restarting. Acoustic flourishes fester alongside...
Read more

Part Chimp - I Am Come (Album Review)

Image
  Part Chimp - I Am Come (2005) My copy: 2005 press by Rock Action Records As the millennium turned, rock music trends began to shift. In the U.S. a band called Lightning Bolt were establishing themselves as forerunners of modern noise-rock by pushing the music in increasingly weird directions. Across the pond, Mclusky were fighting the good fight with the 2002 Albini-produced Do Dallas, that wove dry, intelligent humor in between bursts of electrifying instrumental poundings. But over in London, another set of noise-crazed rockers got their start around the same time.  Part Chimp’s humor is a touch more on the nose; see album title Chart Pimp, or song title “Hitler and Jews” from the same 2002 debut. But directness is just where a band calling themselves “Part Chimp” excels. As rock began softening and going the way of the Strokes real quick, Chart Pimp offered a bastion of sludge-y rock ferocity that mostly suffered from being less able to fully capture the sheer volume ...
Read more