Superdrag-Industry Giants (2009)

Genre: Indie, Rock, Powerpop, EXCELLENT
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Tracklist

1. Slow to Anger
2. Live and Breathe
3. I Only Want a Place I Can Stay
4. Everything'll Be Alright
5. Cheap Poltergeists
6. Try
7. Ready to Go
8. Filthy & Afraid
9. You're Alive
10. 5 Minutes Ahead of the Chaos
11. Aspartame
12. Deathblow to Your Pride

Superdrag has a history of front-loading their albums with strong openers, but this, the first album released by the band’s original lineup in 11 years, might be the strongest ever. The driving power chords, thunderous drums and anthemic, pleasantly ragged vocals of “Slow To Anger” function like head-banging fanfare, announcing simply and certainly, “We’re back.”

Superdrag – John Davis, Brandon Fisher, Tom Pappas and Don Coffey -- also has a history of internal/external chaos rivaling bands like the Gin Blossoms and Fleetwood Mac. From their first moment of success with 1996’s Regretfully Yours, the band spiraled into serial battles for control with their original label (Elektra), major stylistic shifts, Pappas’s departure, Fisher’s departure, Davis’ bouts with alcoholism, and so on until Davis, Coffey and company called it quits in 2003. Four years later the original quartet got together for a series of reunion shows, and now… here we are.

What’s great about the here and now of Superdrag is that this reunion doesn’t feel gratuitous in the least. Certainly the album title is a self-deprecating dig at their checkered history within the music industry; cult favorites, yes -- industry giants, not exactly. What’s clear is that these guys got back together for exactly the right reason -- because they wanted to make music together again – and it shows in every track.