Kicking with a smart, severe passion easily connected to early-'80s masters of minimal fierceness like the Mission of Burma and the Gang of Four,
Drunken Boat's aggressive, compelling debut album rips with fire. The quintet was unquestionably more well-suited to the emo tag than most of the sloppy muck that surfaced toward the end of the '90s, which makes it all the more interesting that
Drunken Boat actually came out in 1991. Todd Colby's singing is abrupt, sharp but not without ache, while collectively the musicians spin out one mini-gem after another, assisted by great production from N.Y.C. music scenester regular Tim Sommer. "New Pop" is a standout that lives up to its name -- it could almost be power pop in ways, but the band's sharper edge keeps this from the usual winsomeness, while Colby knows how to bite with his words. Most of the songs do what they have to do and then stop, an economy of composition clearly
Wire-inspired that works well in the group's hands. Colby's brother Michael handles the drums and song pacing with solid style, introducing subtle fills and changes that allow him to both handle things on a blunt, stripped-down level and a just-tweaked enough development. There are nods to Krautrock/motorik driving drone ("Home" and "Jubilee," two of the few songs on the album longer than three minutes), Dischord's brisk, wrenching hardcore, and even folk-rock, all combining to make for a distinct package. "Accidents" would make for a dreamy, tense number in a fuller length, and still has that, but the guitar from Steve Gross and Todd Serbousek has a punchier effect as a result of its brevity. The final number is a great bonus, sung calmly by bassist Kris Frieden -- a version of
Hüsker Dü's "What's Going On" that roars along musically while providing a neat contrast vocally, with everyone joining in to repeatedly ask the title question. ~ Ned Raggett