Brilliant, driving rock. This album was released in the mid-90s and could never have been predicted by Throwing Muses' early history-- like, Walking In The Dark off 1988's House Tornado. This album seems to be completely lacking in the pathos and mystery of that album. It is also more restrained than Kristin Hersh's later project 50 Foot Wave, giving it a kind of force to be reckoned with -- somehow keeping a balance between tyranny and anarchy. The Dan Clowes cartoon album cover (at least I think it's him) is completely apt-- this music is often like pulp fiction, when you take into account the often funny and deadpan lyrics. It gets a little more sweet in the second half of the album. In general Kristin Hersh and the band nod to alt.country just enough to appeal to a lot of people, and these are actual, well put together and stripped down *songs*, but as far as I know this record didn't sell all that much.

Rec: 6, 10, 11 (also try 4, 9, 12)

Remarkable songs:
2 This was the single, fast paced with reliance on a bass line, layered guitars and vocals, quite catchy
3 This could have been a single too, it climaxes into a chorus that's quite powerful, fast paced
4 similar but somehow more prescient
5 slower, plodding
6 best track, huge, rocking and fast, 'kissing you's like kissing gravel', harmony rules here
7 lyrics take force 'thank you for chaining me to the bed, that was sweet', awww!
8 use of strings, pretty
9 country-blues plod but quite uh...
10 classic 4-verse dirge, first and second half, special
11 really catchy, beginning and end are the same, the middle rocks, 'I never asked you to pay my rent', is this song about something that really happened in her life?
12 this one has a hidden track at the end that's called 'White Bikini Sand'. The first track has a lot of involvement, less stripped down, the second track is pleasantly eerie