Sebadoh Albums (10)
What The Critics Say
Make no mistake -- the definitive article in the title of The Sebadoh is there for a reason. Where the group's previous albums frequently sounded like the work of a songwriters' collective, with each musician supporting each other on their individual songs, The Sebadoh was designed to be the work of a unified band. To the band's credit, Sebadoh achieves that goal. The Sebadoh sounds unlike any other of their records, largely due to the fact they (more or less) rehearsed and recorded these 15 songs as a band, giving their music a kinetic energy it has lacked in the past. It comes at the expense of their most charming quality: their intimacy. Often, listening to a Sebadoh record feels like eavesdropping, but here, the group is playing to the bleachers. Occasionally, that works -- Jason Loewenstein kicks off the record in grand style with "It's All You," and Lou Barlow's "Flame" turns the best of Folk Implosion inside out -- but it often sounds like posturing. Of course, that could be due to the fact that the songs simply aren't as strong as they have been in the past. The best of Loewenstein's material shows that he continues to improve, but he's still erratic; Barlow at times sounds immediate as ever, at other times sounding like a parody of himself; meanwhile, Bob Fay's replacement, Russ Pollard, offers one ineffectual number. Sebadoh has always been notoriously uneven, but their rough surfaces and loose ends ultimately made their records endearing and occasionally revelatory. Here, they've sanded down their rough edges and tied up their loose ends, which might make The Sebadoh the work of a unified band, but it ultimately makes for a record that is far less compelling than the average Sebadoh album. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Part of Sebadoh's charm is that their records are always rather inconsistent, flipping wildly between sonic extremes as well as musical genres. In a sense, Harmacy is no different than its predecessors, but there are some crucial differences that makes it their most accessible effort. Previously, that title was held by 1994's Bakesale, but in between that record and Harmacy, Lou Barlow had a genuine Top 40 hit with the Folk Implosion's "Natural One." Although nothing on Harmacy sounds much like the hip-hop hybrid of "Natural One," its success did have an effect on Barlow, leading him toward more straightforward song structures and cleaner productions -- "Willing to Wait" even features strings. Instead of diluting the impact of Sebadoh's music, the clearer production actually strengthens it. Barlow's sighing melodies and jangling indie rock become more resonant and affecting, and his batch of songs is among his best ever. Jason Loewenstein, Sebadoh's other main songwriter, suffers somewhat at the hands of cleaner production. Loewenstein tends to stick closer to the band's hardcore punk roots than Barlow, so his songs usually could use the extra layer of hiss and murk that cheap productions lend recordings. It also doesn't help that he tends to sink into rather faceless indie noise rock. When Loewenstein takes a stab at pop melodies, such as "Can't Give Up," his songs are memorable, but on the whole, his songs are uneven and occasionally tedious. If it weren't for Loewenstein's erratic songwriting, Harmacy might rank as Sebadoh's masterpiece, but as it stands it's just another very fine and sometimes frustrating record from a band that produces nothing but very fine and sometimes frustrating records. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
When Lou Barlow first started recording as Sebadoh with his pal Eric Gaffney in 1986, he was still playing bass in Dinosaur Jr., and the group's early work practically defines the "side project syndrome" -- since Barlow was already a member of another, more "serious" band at the same time, Sebadoh gave him the opportunity to be as silly, as cryptic, or as obsessively personal as he wished. Not long after Sebadoh's The Freed Man first surfaced as a cassette-only release, Barlow was fired from Dinosaur Jr., and what was once his creative safety valve suddenly became his primary musical forum, and the rough, purposefully distorted textures of Sebadoh's primitive early work (recorded on inexpensive four-track cassette decks and then dubbed down to even cheesier tape) would become the early hallmark of their music, along with the rage, puzzlement, and melancholy that defined Barlow's lyrical world-view. However, on The Freed Man, while Barlow hardly sounds sunny most of the time, he was clearly able to embrace the playful side of the group's music, and Gaffney was more than willing to bring his fair share of goofiness into the formula; add the periodic barrage of audio clips from television broadcasts, old children's records, and assorted noise, and you get the template for much of what would emerge in the "lo-fi revolution" (and like thousands of bands that would follow in Sebadoh's wake, much of The Freed Man was recorded in a college dorm room, with sounds from the adjoining rooms occasionally bleeding onto the tape). While stretches of The Freed Man sound like the pot-addled meanderings of a semi-bohemian college sophomore with a little too much time on his hands, both Barlow and Gaffney display enough songcraft and imagination to show they were several cuts above most folks following a similar path, and the fact that the nerdy but confessional "Soulmate," the bare-bones pop of "Drifts on Thru," and a mock-hardcore cover of "Yellow Submarine" could peacefully coexist on the same album suggests Sebadoh's budget-minded eclecticism was reaping potent rewards right from the very start. ~ Mark Deming, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
The press release to this LP boasted that it, unlike their debut, "was actually recorded with the knowledge that it would be released." Apparently Lou Barlow and Eric Gaffney had a pretty clear crystal ball; the music was taped in 1986 and 1987 but didn't actually come out on vinyl until 1990. Sebadoh's first LP, The Freed Man, boasts some of the most deliberately awful fidelity of all time (against some stiff competition); this is somewhat, but only somewhat, more hi-fi. Barlow's gifts are often in evidence: his appealing voice, sensitive wit, and knack for affected burned-out acid-folk. Alas, the merits are often buried beneath hiss and tomfoolery, as if he wasn't convinced his music was any good on its own terms, and so tried to pretend it was all a joke. The LP has since been reissued (along with most of The Freed Man) on the CD The Freed Weed. ~ Richie Unterberger, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
The official bootleg In Tokyo documents a surprisingly tight July 1994 show which offers an intriguing mix of favorites ("Rebound," "Soul and Fire," "The Freed Pig"), new material ("Beauty of the Ride" and "On Fire," which appeared two years later on Harmacy), relative obscurities ("Plate o' Hatred," "Sing Something," "Soulmate"), and telling covers (Flipper's "No Tears," Pussy Galore's "Kill Yourself," and Hüsker Dü's "What's Going On"). ~ Jason Ankeny, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
With Bakesale, Sebadoh has trimmed down to Lou Barlow, Jason Loewenstein, and Bob Fay, with Barlow and Loewenstein taking on the lion's share of the songwriting. Maybe the change in personnel was needed, because Bakesale is their most accessible, concise work to date. Without the noise that usually envelops their records, the solid, unconventional pop songwriting of Barlow and Loewenstein shines through brightly. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Bubble & Scrape is the last Sebadoh record to feature Eric Gaffney, and accordingly, his contributions are not so much songs as tantrums; blistering rants like "Telecosmic Alchemy" and "Elixir Is Zog" offer much in the way of dissonant noise but little in the way of substance. Still, the album has much to recommend it -- not only does Jason Loewenstein emerge here as an increasingly adept songwriter, but Lou Barlow truly hits his stride: both "Soul and Fire" and "Think (Let Tomorrow Bee)" are sterling additions to one of the most impressive catalogs of love songs on the planet, while "Cliche" stings with bitter intensity. ~ Jason Ankeny, All Music Guide
'Smash Your Head on the Punk Rock'
Release Date 11/6/1992
Tracks 12
Label Sub Pop
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
Sebadoh made its Sub Pop debut with Smash Your Head on the Punk Rock, which collects the highlights of the import compilations Rockin' the Forest and Sebadoh vs. Helmet. Lou Barlow's contributions are the gems here, especially the transcendent "Brand New Love," which first appeared in acoustic form on Weed Forestin' (and was later punked up by Superchunk); almost as good are "Vampire" and "Good Things," while an apt and poignant cover of David Crosby's "Everybody's Been Burned" underscores the emotional frailty which binds all of Barlow's work. ~ Jason Ankeny, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Along with Pavement's Slanted & Enchanted, Sebadoh III is one of the cornerstones of '90s indie rock, establishing the dubious lo-fi style as a credible subgenre. Though the recording techniques give the album a distinctive, hazy atmosphere, the music itself is fascinating. Divided between contributions from Lou Barlow, Eric Gaffney, and Jason Loewenstein, Sebadoh III doesn't necessarily offer a coherent listen. Instead, it's a variety of unexpected detours, with each track offering something different from what preceded. Barlow immediately distinguishes himself with his folky acoustic musings, which not only have sensitivity to spare, but also strong melodies. Gaffney, on the other hand, consigns himself to the role of hardcore noise rocker, often with varying results. Loewenstein falls between the two extremes, acting as a bridge between the two songwriters. With such a variety of styles and sounds, Sebadoh III is a kaleidoscopic summation of various American underground rock genres of the '80s, as well as a launching pad for the introspective obsessions of '90s indie rock. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide
