The best of times, the worst of times
Hyper Enough | Flint, Michigan | 12/11/2004
(4 out of 5 stars)
"Small Brown Bike hovered around the Punk and Indie scene for the past 6 to 8 years, with moderate success, most of which only came at the end of their career. Eventually winding up on Lookout Records, SBB would harness a sound that helped them break out of their long lived association with friends Hot Water Music (which I never really heard a similarity to, other than the raspy vocals).
This collection of early material shows a different side of the band. Sometimes good, sometimes bad, the album is light years apart from what the band was doing at the end of their career. Not to say that the early songs are no good. On the contrary, the material that makes up their second 7 inch (titled "And Don't Forget Me), really shines as a perfect blend of bands like Jawbreaker, Quicksand, and Avail. Their "No Place Like You" 7 inch, also included on this release, shows a slightly younger band with an earlier version of the same format. All of these songs represent a young band with just the right influences, and nowhere to go but up.
and finally, to finish the record, are the tracks from the band's first cassette demo. The songs themselves are pretty good, including an early version of the track "Cold" that would eventually end up rewritten on the "Our Own Wars" full length. The production is pretty raw, and isn't the most listenable on these four songs, but it's a good document to accompany the other tracks.
Maybe it's just nostalgia, but these songs are my favorite of the band's, showing a much more vulnerable side to the writing. The lyrics really jump out as desperate, which is a major part of SBB's charm. If only bands wrote songs this good all the time."
Track Listings (13) - Disc #1