FDF Volume 3 Issue 356 - Slint - Untitled EP

Album - Untitled

Artist - Slint

Key Players - .Britt Walford- drums. David Pajo – guitar. Brian McMahan – guitar/vocals., Ethan Buckler - bass

Produced By – Steve Albini

Release Date - 1994

Overview – The two song ep was recorded in 1989 before the bands now iconic album “Spiderland” was done. Intended to be a release around the time of the band debut “Tweez” it was shelved due to some record label shifting. In 1994 it was released.

FDF Comments (aka the songs) – It may seem like a cop out doing a 2 song ep as part of a review, but with Slint very little can be taken lightly. Clocking in at just over 13 minutes it begins with
"Glenn" . Buckler rolls a melodic bass line before the drums and guitar come in. Everyone is held back and almost hesitant. Pajo repeats his riff and Walford rolls across his drum kit. The track is locked in to a trippy groove early on and it slowly builds steam. About 1:30 in the band bears down more and the second guitar comes in, with distorted riffs played over the melody that has been laid out. The bulk of the track sticks with this and if you listen a second time you'll hear more of whats going on with the second guitar. Then a third time what the bass line does. It changes and expands with each listen.  "Rhoda" is the second track and its a re-hash of the same tune taken from the bands debut “Tweez”. This is a louder, more in your face track than the first. The guitars really bite at you with the siren like wail and heavily distorted bottom to it all. When Pajo screeches the guitar line and Walford slaps it all back to re-connect you are taken on an heavy and wild ride. The single guitar note attack as Walford seems to find a beat outside the beat. Try to tap your feet to this one and its nearly impossible, yet its tight beyond words. Everyone is doing their own thing, yet it melds as one sonic blast. About 3 minutes in we calm down some and Buckler gets a short moment before its shouted “1-2-3!!” and the band collapses back in. Pajo and McMahon go hard on the guitar and Walford attacks his drum kit like it stole money from him. Bucklers rumbling bass works to fold it all back up nice, but the guitars swirl and battle back and forth, slicing through the track. It slows down, and you can almost envision the band taking a turn sitting down in exhaustion.

Where are they now? - Buckler left the band early on. The biggest story of the band is how they broke up before Spiderland was released. Over the years the album would grow and grow starting to appear on those “best albums ever” lists you see. Its a brilliant and stunning release that is beyond good. The band re-formed in 2005 for a tour, then did another in 2007. They will still occasionally tour (including 2014) but there are no plans for a new Slint record.

FDF Overall Take/Was it worth Dusting Off? - Yes. You might not “get” Slint the first time you listen to them, but listen to them. Soak it in, then listen again. For such a limited output (2 full lengths and an ep) the band has left an amazing legacy. Hip before hipster the band, never mind just this ep, are deserving of your attention.

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