Review Summary: An exceptionally solid album, and a good place to start for those new to Unwound.
When I first bought this album, I was expecting either the punk rock fury of previous Unwound release,
Fake Train, or the depressing, experimental creation that is
Leaves Turn Inside You. What I got was something unexpected. It wasn't a mixture of the two albums (I'm looking at you
Repetition), nor was it something completely different. It had a new sound, but with some traces of the past album, and the foreshadowing of some records to come.
At 39:43,
New Plastic Ideas isn’t the longest listen, but remember, these guys are punk influenced.
Entirely Different Matters and
What Was Wound weren’t the best choices for openers, but a refreshing
Envelope brings interest back into the album. Trosper’s calm harmonic vocals during the verse are traded off for vicious, emotional screaming in the chorus. The lyrics are simple, yet effective.
Hexenzsene is a surprisingly upbeat, and almost happy song. A rare occurrence from Unwound, and adds new light to the album.
Abstraktions takes an interesting turn on the album, a 7 minute long instrumental with strange beauty. Certainly a captivating song.
Usual Dosage is an interesting song, with a chilling mid-section and somewhat tribal sounding drumming.
All Souls Day expresses an almost Nirvana influence, with the chorus showing noise rock and punk rock fury, the verses portray a new, epic sounding Unwound. Lund’s intricate drum part molding in perfectly with Trosper’s echo drenched guitar, while Rumsey’s thundering, slightly distorted bass gives Unwound their signature style, in possibly the best song on the album.
New Plastic Ideas is a great listen, and probably the most upbeat of all Unwound’s releases. A good place to start for people new to the Unwound sound, and has some great songs on it. Certainly a gem of the mid nineties, and a terrifically solid album.
Recommended Songs
Envelope
Hexenzsene
Abstraktions
Usual Dosage
All Souls Day
