Sebadoh - Rebound EP (1995)

Most Sebadoh fans would probably cite the early '90s as the band's heyday; first came the stunning Bubble and Scrape, and then in 1994 the electric-charged Bakesale won over whatever hearts hadn't already softened. Far from the sound of the group's early recordings, these were still lo-fi, yet were a bit more polished and surprisingly linear-sounding rock albums. This EP followed on the heels of Bakesale, and features the record's first single as well as some great sounding acoustic versions of other Sebadoh tracks. "Rebound"'s catchy lead riff opens the album on a heavy note, but is later reprised in a more relaxed take that sees band leader and everyman Lou Barlow abandon the riff and go straight for the song's melodic center. Also included are the swaggering "Social Medicine" and the acoustic ballad "On Fire," which was reprised in electric mode on the Harmacy LP with surprisingly less enjoyable results. Rounding it out is Bakesale's opening "Magnet's Coil," which becomes a tender anthem that proves Barlow's abilities to pull multiple emotions out of his better work. Sebadoh's earliest records consisted of mostly unaccompanied guitar ditties, and with the more complicated material they moved on to write, it's nice to see the that the later songs still retain their strengths even when they are given up to completely unadorned presentations.