On the fourth release by art rockers
Shudder to Think,
Get Your Goat, the band created a record that with each additional spin reveals something new. The final studio album with guitarist Chris Matthews and drummer Mike Russell proved to be one of their most consistent. The album also turned out to be the first step toward their trademark textured sound (later achieved on
Pony Express Record and
50,000 B.C.), shedding the straight-ahead production of the previous Funeral at the Movies and
Ten Spot. "Goat" and "Pebbles" are a couple of classic
Shudder tracks that engage the listener with their genre-bending music and nonsensical lyrics. The chromatic riffing of "Baby Drop" and "Rain-Covered Cat" confirms the group's technical proficiency, and "She Wears He-Harem" shows off
Craig Wedren's maturing skills as a vocalist. This would also be the last release for Dischord Records by
Shudder to Think, as the group inked a deal with Epic afterwards. The last release by all four original members more than met the standard set by the band's previous efforts. ~ Greg Prato