Hum - You'd Prefer An Astronaut

RCA
(1995)

I smell something good. Oh, it's that tasty 90's alternative smorgasbord otherwise known as Hum. A mash-up of big Deftones styled riffs, thick and spacey but less experimental My Bloody Valentine layers (which can be harvested for secret sounds when blazed), and the driving rock of vintage Smashing Pumpkins, Hum are the band you heard and liked but couldn't name. Or at least that was my experience. I heard their only real hit "Stars" numerous times on the radio, but never knew who they were until years later. Turns out they didn't slouch on their major debut; the entire track listing is solid, including the perplexing failure of follow-up singles in "The Pod" and "I'd Like Your Hair Long". But the most notable part of the album is its duality of production. Much like Loveless by My Bloody Valentine, You'd Prefer An Astronaut can be enjoyed at polar ends of the volume spectrum: a quiet drone for naps or a cranked amplitude for physical emulsification with the music. Though the latter yields far superior results.

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Peace to the Braille Tapes and Josh. Both will be missed dearly for similar/different reasons. Memories for days.