91: Lungfish’s Pass & Stow (1994)
Here’s another one of those bands that jumped out at my with blunt force the first time I ever heard them. Daniel Higgs’ voice combined with Asa Osborne’s guitar work are a at once an ethereal yet blistering duo. I had heard some other stuff of theirs prior to this record, but this one was mail-ordered from Dischord and was the first full-length I fell in love with. It remains my favorite of theirs — something about the production and the songs themselves just take hold and don’t let go. I had a really hard time picking one song for this post, but I went with my ultimate fave, “The Trap Gets Set” — a quiet number that almost betrays the vibe of the rest of the record. “Computer” is another standout, if you’re thinking of checking them out for the first time.
Lungfish “The Trap Gets Set” (mp3)
I got to this record a little sooner than you did (probably because I’m a couple years older?), but it had the same effect on me. On a tangential note, I like Minor Threat too, but this is MacKaye’s most triumphant vehicle for the simple fact that when he and Guy Picciotto are united in song they are 100% unfuckwithable.