This is the first part of a discography of this English outfit’s work (I forget what city; sorry, gents!), spanning the early- to mid-’90s. It sure sounds it, too. Elmerhassel plays melodic punk that was becoming “the” sound at that time in a lot of niches, including my own. (I didn’t realize that the bands I was seeing live when I was in college had such an “international” sound.) Listening to this, I’m reminded of various early-’90s Milwaukee bands like New Detective Squad, Compound Red, and even a little bit of Alligator Gun. Looking at this record objectively, I can’t really attest to how good it is—I like this subgenre, and Elmerhassel is quite good at it—but part of my appreciation for this record admittedly stems from some tendrils of nostalgia. I’m old.
–Eric Carlson (Boss Tunage)