TOP 100 ALBUMS EVAR: #91
The Dismemberment Plan: Emergency & I (1999) <De Soto>
Genre: Post-Hardcore, Math Rock
Nationality: USA (Washington D.C.)
For their third album, Washington D.C.’s own punk collective threw everything they had against the wall, stuffing a million insane ideas into one razor sharp, explosive, erratically spastic creation. It possessed the clear influences of their older D.C. art punk relatives (Fugazi, Jawbox, etc.), but something else was there. It was a kind of controlled cacophony that made Emergency & I seem like it was constantly on the verge of derailing into chaos. ”Gyroscope” stumbles over a tricky uneven meter; “I Love A Magician” and “Girl O’Clock” are unpredictable and fierce; “Memory Machine” and “8.5 Minutes” stutter, skip and convulse. Yet at the same time a musical presence hovered over it all. Through the dense layers of confusion came melody, vague and non sequitur but melody nonetheless. ”A Life of Possibilities” and “A City” have a strange sense of pop sensibility. ”Back And Forth” combines a sort of hip hop with funk and punk, bringing the Talking Heads’ “Once In A Lifetime” to mind. When it comes down to it, Emergency & I is always an exciting listen. Each song careens you through uncharted territory with an aggressive fervor, completely confident of itself. If only more rock bands were this fearless.
Key Tracks: “A Life Of Possibilities,” “What Do You Want Me To Say,” “Back And Forth,” “Girl O’Clock”
For Fans Of: Fugazi, At The Drive-In, Sunny Day Real Estate
