By essentially "repeating the language of the land and the sky,"
the Screaming Trees accurately portray the organic spirit of the Pacific Northwest. On tracks such as "Cold Rain" and "In the Forest" their narrative landscapes are not only expressed by the seasoned voice of
Mark Lanegan but also by the rich complexity of their song structures. While drummer
Mark Pickerel and guitarists
Gary Lee and
Van Conner provide the energy of a classic garage band, producer
Steve Fisk molds their groundwork and pop sensibilities into the realms of proto-grunge. Along with fellow SST labelmates
Sonic Youth and
Dinosaur Jr.,
the Screaming Trees served as true pioneers of the burgeoning genre. With distorted guitars and meaningful poetics becoming the norm of the late '80s,
Even If and Especially When stands as a commendable album and a telling preview of what was to later come from the Seattle scene.