Wild and Inside

Insound Staff Pick - 2009! Eat Skull's Sick to Death received worldwide accolades for its frantic pacing, unimpeachable lyric quality, and nugget after nugget of pop hooks buried under a gob of lo-fi muzz. On this follow-up, fans and critics will find a cleaner, more inimitable Eat Skull at work. Frontman Rob Enbom has outdone himself with both lyrics and structure on Wild and Inside, and the band as a whole rises to the challenge of nixing the lo-fi tag for a sound that's less antecedent. Gone is the wall of crud that prevents discerning listeners from identifying the instrumental play-by-play; in its stead, a set of crafted songs recall the paisley punk of The Last and the rural-delica of Great Plains, as well as nodding to the sanguine pop of early Flying Nun bands such as The Double Happys. Wild and Inside is a grower for the ages. It breathes deep and exhales perfectly.