The Birthday Party, The Bad Seed (12" EP)

1983's The Bad Seed EP leaps out of speakers with its remarkable sound — I'm sure the 45 RPM cut helps.  The huge kick drum sets the tone of the EP, both in Mick Harvey's steady playing and in its punchy, consistent sound.  All of the drums sound a bit flat, with sustained impact and little attack, and the bass and guitar follow a similar envelope.  The bass equalization focuses on a narrow, low frequency, which leaves room for the kick drum to cover so much tonal range, and the explosive cymbals shatter the top frequencies with a slight distortion that's never harsh.  Roland S Howard's inventive guitar playing bears some resemblance to Keith Levene's work on Metal Box only a few years earlier, but its far from identical or overtly derivative.  Finally, the fairly thin vocal sound sits over the top without being loud in the mix, and it helps to hold the material together.  The iconic cover design, with bold, smeary colors surrounding the band members' photos, perfectly captures the energy of the music.