August 8th

Sun is shining

Not a cloud in the sky

August 8th is a beautiful day…

These words were part of a seminal record from my childhood. Heavy Petting Zoo was much derided after the commercial and dare I say crossover success of Punk In Drublic however I was always a fan of the rougher production and intensity contained within the follow-up album. Moving forward from there; So Long… contains what I consider to be the best production and songwriting on any full-length record from the band which was only surpassed by the short but oh-so-sweet work on The Decline which stands as a pinnacle in modern music. With a few scant flashes since, it is safe to say that their best work is long behind them, but I’ll always give credit for that ~7 years of greatness.