Sebadoh: Bakesale Deluxe Edition

Sometimes the right thing happens at the right time and an album like Sebadoh’s Bakesale comes along and changes the game. Following the dismissal of co-founder Eric Gaffney circa ‘93, Lou Barlow (bass), Jason Loewenstein (guitar) and new drummer Bob Fay crafted a focused collection of genuine, post-ironic grunge-pop perfection. Loewenstein-penned numbers such as “Careful,” “Got It” and “Shit Soup” are the most the most introspective rockers here, but Barlow is still the perennial sad sack in “Not a Friend.” Even the almighty “Rebound” percolates with fragile self-indulgence. But along with high-energy Clinton-era classics such as “License to Confuse,” “Skull,” “Magnet’s Coil” and “Give Up” the album redefined what indie rock could be. Seventeen years later the remastered Bakesale is just as fresh as it was the day it was released, and the bonus disc of acoustic bits and pieces is the first in the reissue series that’s actually a rewarding listen. (5 out of 5 stars)