In respect to the rest of their impressive catalog,
Superchunk's debut LP is basically a ragged hint of promise from a group who would later become a fixture of indie rock. Over ten tracks of poorly recorded albeit thundering rock & roll, singer/guitarist
Mac McCaughan and crew play a punk rock hybrid that leans toward the possibility of a more complicated future but never really realizes it. The record has a few winning tracks, including the opening "Sick to Move" and the indie ethos affirmation "My Noise," but in retrospect, the only really important song included on the record is the longtime
Superchunk anthem "Slack Motherfucker." The song's call to arms of "I'm workin'/but I'm not working for you," written while
McCaughan was paying his bills with work behind the counter of a local Kinkos, has forever become a part of the band's legacy and has been covered by numerous artist since appearing on this record.
Superchunk completists will probably see a need for this record in their collections, but the much more accessible
Tossing Seeds: Singles 89-91 collection contains all this record's high points as well as the follow-up singles that saw the band really get moving in a more inspiring direction. [This 2017 reissue of
Superchunk includes a bonus download of Clambakes, Vol. 9: Other Music from Unshowered Grumblers -- Live in NYC 1990, a show recorded at the legendary East Village venue CBGB.] ~ Peter J. D'Angelo