Cows - Orphans Tragedy (1994)

The Cows have always been one of those "love 'em or hate 'em" type of bands. They have a visceral appeal that hits the listener somewhere between the gut and the gonads, and depending on where you sit on the love/hate thing, they're either brilliant or completely retarded. They do things to the blues that would make old dead blues guys spin in their graves. And as soon as singer Shannon Selberg starts honkin' away on that damn bugle of his, things really get ugly. There's plenty of psychotic ranting and raving, endless tweaked-out blues riffs, and the typical bludgeoning Am Rep rhythm section. But mindless noise and chaos can be stomached for only so long; these guys have the chops now, and Orphan's Tragedy has the best songs the Cows have ever written. If the Cows' fans are cringing at the thought of a pop-laden shift in direction á la Nirvana's Nevermind, don't worry. While The Cows have plenty of hooks, they're still ugly as sin and probably won't be hitting the Top 40 anytime soon--or ever. You've got to love 'em.~ Adem Tepedelen