Viet Cong

It’s impossible to say whether this Canadian postpunk quartet went back to source material such as The Fall’s early records and Gang of Four’s Entertainment or listened to second-generation groups that had discovered their own effective voices within the genre's lo-fi crustiness, angular riffs, and pounding, relentless rhythms. Tracks here such as “Continental Shelf” and “Bunker Buster” (rerecorded for this debut album) bleed with commitment toward harsh, noncommercial sounds that overflow with pained beauty for those accustomed to its habits. Sonic Youth or Joy Division fans should have no trouble finding the “pop” in demanding songs like “Silhouettes” and “Death.”