Sonic Youth, Evol (CD)

While I don't count myself among the legion of die-hard Sonic Youth fans, it's impossible to ignore the group's importance and impact. 1986's Evol defined the future of the group, and I consider it Sonic Youth's definitive statement that they've tried to emulate ever since. It's the first time that melody and concepts of pop music really came to the fore (probably too much so on "Bubblegum"), and, despite its inconsistency, it features some of their best songs. While in the years since, they've moved to a more precious and delicate recording quality, Evol retains more of the primitive punk-like sound of their early years. For me, it's the record that comes the closest to justifying the band's cult-like following.