Grifters, One Sock Missing (side A)

1993's One Sock Missing, the Grifters' second album, stands up as one of the more interesting of the "lo-fi" era of early-90s indie rock. It couples a bluesy classic-rock swagger with overt Chrome-like textural freedom. Despite the buried vocals (both technically and stylistically), the melodies can be recognizable and memorable. The drive and traditional riffs provide an emotional anchor, even as the album veers off into occasional bursts of oddity. The recording was, of course, purposely lo-fi, but the mastering could use some more bottom end. The cut-up drawings on the cover hold up nicely, but I'm not quite sold on the font.