Album Review: Seaweed- Spanaway

I love smashing these lighters because they're easy to smash and they blow up, and explosions are cool. 

Year Of Release: 1995

Label: Hollywood Records

Lineup: Aaron Stauffer (vocals), Clint Werner and Wade Neal (guitars), John Atkins (bass), Bob Bulgrien (drums)

Genres: Melodic hardcore, post-hardcore, emocore, grunge

Tracklist

1. Free Drug Zone (3:37)

2. Crush Us All (3:58)

3. Start With (4:02)

4. Common Mistake (2:47)

5. Magic Mountainman (3:46)

6. Saturday Nitrous (3:11)

7. Undeniable Hate (3:34)

8. Defender (2:40)

9. Assistant (To The Manager) (3:35)

10. Punchy (The Clown) (0:54)

11. Not Saying Anything (4:05)

12. Last Humans (3:22)

13. Peppy's Bingo (1:06)

Back in the '90s, a lot of bands were lumped in with that whole grunge scene, whether they actually belonged or not. If they were from the Pacific Northwest or had some semblance of "dirty" riffs, they were grunge. Look at an album like Dayglo, by Love Battery. Really, Dayglo is a reverb-heavy, kinda shoegazy psychedelic rock album that probably would have done a little better if Love Battery was from Manchester. They would have fit in much better with the British indie scene that was thriving around the same time period, but because they were a Seattle band signed to Sub Pop, surely that makes them a grunge band, right?

Seaweed was another band that was kinda thrown in there, despite being more of a melodic hardcore/post-hardcore band (or even emo) than they were grunge. Granted, I do think they have a little bit of a grungy sound, and they were influenced by a lot of bands from the mid-late '80s first wave of grunge, so I can certainly see why someone would call them grunge, even if I don't entirely agree. Really, they played a style of melodic grungy post-hardcore/emo that I affectionately (and jokingly) refer to as "flannelcore," a style exemplified in the '90s by bands like Samiam, Farside, and Coffin Break.

Just a bunch of cool guys chillin' like villains. Photo courtesy of Sub Pop.

Spanaway, in my opinion, is one of the best representatives of this style. Released in 1995, this was their major label debut. Some might say that this was where they "sold out," but overall, it's definitely my favorite Seaweed album. Now, I will say that Weak, Four, and Actions & Indications are arguably more consistent on a track to track basis, with less throwaway tracks, but my god, Spanaway has some incredibly high highs. All five of their very best songs are on this baby right here.

But let's just get the minor nitpicks out of the way before discussing this album's greatness. First off, get rid of "Punchy (The Clown) and "Peppy's Bingo." They are completely unnecessary and add nothing of value. I don't understand why artists like to add these throwaway goof-off tracks, but whatever. And if I really want to be whiny, I would argue that maybe it's a little frontloaded. Four of the best songs are within the first five tracks. But it's really not that big of a deal. Aside from the two filler tracks, every song on here is still good.

Seaweed performed at the very first Warped Tour, way back in 1995. Whatever your thoughts on what the festival eventually turned into, the first one had a helluva setlist! Photo courtesy of Setlist.fm.

But enough of the Debbie Downer frowny clown nonsense. Let's discuss the songs that kick ass! Take opening track "Free Drug Zone," for example, which has some of of the most infectious sing-along choruses you will ever hear in your life. This melodic bliss is also exemplified by "Not Saying Anything," a sad tale of an unhappy relationship with both parties constantly fighting. And this describes the entire album. Hooky and memorable music matched by cynical, pessimistic lyrics.

"Crush Us All" might just be the catchiest track here, with its energetic rhythm and POWERFUL earworm riffs. I constantly find myself humming the melody, and it's surprisingly a lot of fun to drunkenly crabwalk to! And then there's "Start With," the most well known track and also the grungiest, another song about a toxic gold-digging partner which includes a biting commentary on greed ("They've got the cash and now look what it's bought them, new hair and ass but their souls are all rotten"). And of course I have to mention "Magic Mountainman," a monumental, epic anthem about the desire to live off the grid, away from the rest of society. As someone who suffers from social anxiety, wanting to live out in the middle of nowhere is very relatable.

I can't fucking stop listening!!!!!!!!

Whether they're actually a grunge band or not, Seaweed is definitely one of my favorites from the '90s Seattle scene (well, they were actually from Tacoma, but still). And Spanaway is for sure my favorite Seaweed album. It's melodic, it's anthemic, it's cynical, and it's totally rad! And it deserves a special mention for introducing me to that "flannelcore" style of punk. By 1995, grunge and grunge-adjacent music was pretty much on life support, but there was still plenty of grungy goodness to go around! Definitely deserves a listen.