Caught the Blast

Party of One is actually a party of three, and Caught the Blast is the band's full-length debut following a positively received debut single ("Shotgun Funeral"), which is included. A crudely recorded and sloppy but spirited album — as indicated by titles like "Baghdad Boogie," "Synagogue Chamber Waltz," and "Six Million Anonymous Deceased" — it probably sounds great to anyone who has never heard a Dischord release with a copyright date earlier than 1995. The toughest thing to get past is Eric Fifteen's voice, which can be tough to digest even by indie rock standards. It's also worth noting that any bandmember who lists his occupation as "oral propaganda and six-string genocide" (as indicated in the liner notes) either takes himself too seriously or has a poor sense of humor (or both, but it's probably the latter). Still, there's a fair amount of promise shown here. With a natural pace of development, the group could be a real force after the second or third album.