I know that hardcore fans mostly prefer the earliest stuff to the Brix years, but I'm fully in love with this period of the band where they struck the (for me) perfect balance of artsy, rocking, grating, and catchy. And even though I've got all the albums of the period, I love hearing a bunch of their catchiest stuff back to back to back like this. Opens with the weakest song and then just keeps rolling out "hit" after "hit" of their playfully abrasive middle period. This is the easiest way into their world for those who aren't familiar unless you're willing to just go for the 2-disc jobber 50,000 Fall Fans Can't Be Wrong which covers all periods and does a pretty damn flawless job of selecting from them all. But if you're looking for an easy in, this is it. If you're a fan already, there's no special reason to pick this up, but I guarantee it's more consistent than any of the albums. But inconsistency is part of their bag, and therein lies their charm.
By: Nervenet.