A caffeinated, dancey, post-punk explosion bundled into twelve tracks and running well under an hour in length, the Dismemberment Plan's 1999 release, Emergency & I, skyrocketed the band to indie fame. More accessible than their early work and more crazed than anything that has followed, this album is a unique jolt of electricity coming from the hardcore Washington, D.C. music scene.
With an eclectic collection of unidentifiable time signatures and instruments, the Plan crafts a sound that is undeniably weird, yet simultaneously poppy and immediately appealing. Drum machines and synths figure prominently, with songs like "You Are Invited" and "The City" relying heavily on these instruments alone. "8 « Minutes" and "Girl O'Clock" are off-kilter, jerky gems that showcase lead singer Travis Morrison's unique vocalizations - always spinning close to chaos yet miraculously remaining in control.
There isn't another album in your collection that sounds like this one, the Plan's other work included. Yet at the same time, every record you own, every band that you listen to, can be found in these sweet sounds.
