Strapping Fieldhands, Discus (side A)

The Strapping Fieldhands may have had the most overt classic rock influence of any of the '90s nominal "lo-fi" bands. 1994's Discus has some heavy guitar parts that owe an obvious debt to the '60s, and the absurdly melodic and catchy parts are just as overtly retro. All of the lo-fi primitivism is there, but the Strapping Fieldhands definitely follow Chrome or the Tall Dwarfs far less than their nominal peers. The sound quality is charmingly rough, and the mastering is particularly uneven with little concern for EQ imbalance.