I have no particular love for the Hot Snakes, Drive Like Jehu or any of their prior or subsequent bands. Everyone jumps up and down and throws a fit when these guys get in to a studio, but, typically, I find myself underwhelmed. Same with cohorts Rocket From The Crypt and everything those guys have ever touched. So when I say that the Obits record has made it in to my daily required listening pile, you’ll know it must be something special. It cracked my thick skull. It must be good. This is a great example of what I’d like modern rock to look and sound like. Enough nods to garage and punk of the past to fill the tank of a rocket headed towards the future and uncharted lands. All packaged in Rick Froberg’s signature art style. Shit is weird and classy. Just the way I like it. I think if you twisted my arm, I’d admit there were a few so-so songs on here, but you could rip out my fucking fingernails and I would never speak an ill word of the song “Back and Forth”. It closes the album in one of the best ways possible. It’s so fucking good it makes you want to put the record back on immediately after.
–Steve Stephenson (Sub Pop)