6 keepers
keeper avg .214
Fan favorite "A Salty Salute" ("the club is open") heralds the beginning of "Alien Lanes," undoubtedly the quintessential GBV album, with all the expected Who-inspired rockers, tangents, hidden gems, and half-baked sketches. Other popular tracks include the classic "Watch Me Jumpstart"****, a crushing rocker in waltz time, the unassuming indie-pop "My Valuable Hunting Knife" and "As We Go Up, We Go Down", "Hit" (which we won't be discussing), and "Motor Away"*****, propelled by Kevin Fennell's syncopated, driving drum pattern. The first version of "Game of Pricks," on the short list of the greatest songs of indie-rock, is also here, but it's decidedly meh in comparison to the roaring "Tigerbomb" EP (1995) version.
Tobin Sprout's contributions include the sprightly "A Good Flying Bird"**** (with joyous "yah!"s, foretelling Neutral Milk Hotel's sound), fractured power-pop rocker "Strawdogs", the marvelously catchy "Little Whirl"****, and arresting high-harmonies on several tracks. The influence of Robert Pollard's muse The Who is especially apparent in the perpetually building "Striped White Jets"**** (the jets come with onomatopoeic "ah-sh-sh-sh-sh-sh-sh"s), the peppy, lo-fi "My Son Cool" ("around you my love"), and the triumphant album-closing instrumental "Alright" (which would be a kick-ass song with some vocal), while the short-and-sweet "Closer You Are"**** is like a jangly Husker Du.
Tracks like the stark, eerie "Always Crush Me" and "The Ugly Vision," stately Abbey Road-inspired ballad "Chicken Blows" ("Alice Alice Alice"), raucous blurb "Gold Hick" (I'm Mighty Pro-Jet, I'm Baron von Richthofen!"), and the folky "14 Cheerleader Coldfront"-like "King and Caroline" provide some tonal variations. With 28 total tracks on the album there a bunch of others, ranging from short songs to sketches that trail off unexpectedly, with varying degrees of musicality and recording quality. In other words a typical 90's GBV album.
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