The Terminals, Uncoffined (side A)

My favorite Terminals albums come slightly later than Uncoffined—1992's Touch and 1995's Little Things.  The New Zealand group's 1990 debut has a somewhat different line-up and distinctly brighter (if still lo-fi) sound than the albums that followed it.  Uncoffined also includes acoustic guitar, which would not turn up again until 2007's Last Days of the Sun.  It has more of a 1960s garage feel, with some almost gentle pop in places—the obvious Ian Curtis influence in Steven Cogle's lead vocal is somewhat less prominent.  Buried underneath these nice melodies remains the dark, fiery intensity that was present in The Victor Dimisich Band (out of which the Terminals evolved) and prominent on the group's later releases.  In addition to lyrics taken from 1920s American experimental poet Harry Crosby and a cover of New Zealand 1960s garage heroes the Avengers, Uncoffined also features "Frozen Car", which might be the closest thing the Terminals had to a "hit".  The amazing cover painting aligns more with the music's underlying hints of darkness than the more rock elements that are often in the foreground here.