Bakesale

<i>Bakesale</i> was the first Sebadoh album Lou Barlow recorded without wild-card foil Eric Gaffney. Absent Gaffney's eccentric influence, the band hardened into a taut indie-rock power trio. “Licence to Confuse” and “Magnet’s Coil” rank among Barlow’s most adrenalised and melodically concise songs; the downcast “Not a Friend” and effervescent “Skull” are among his prettiest. Meanwhile, bassist Jason Loewenstein relishes his promotion to Barlow’s new right-hand man, turning in the joyously anarchic “S**t Soup” and the white-knuckled “Drama Mine”.