Harriet The Spy played a very interesting and diverse style of moody, somewhat melancholic punk which corresponded to a pretty great combination of melody and dissonance. They were a little bit noisy, a little bit spastic, and had a very windy, angular vibe which might be a tough listen for someone who has never heard them before. But hey, this blog is all about exposing people to shit they may have missed out on the first time around, so don't let the above weirdo description throw you off.
The band hailed from Kent, Ohio, but an early HTS release gives us a Lyndhurst address for these dudes, which is a Cleveland suburb some 30 miles north of Kent. They were active between the years of 1993 and 1998, the year this disc came out. They began life with a more abrasive sound that what they finished with, and the songs presented here give the listener a first hand account of the progression of the band, including the noted improved musicianship of its members over the course of the band's growth. That sounds like something that I probably don't need to mention as this a compilation that spans the life of the band, but it's something that is a bit more noticeable with Harriet The Spy than with similar types of releases from other bands. They were rather prolific, releasing lots of stuff and appearing on numerous comps, including the Amnesia LP released by Ebullition twenty years ago.
There probably isn't much room here for any middle ground to stand on; although this might be a challenging listen for some people, I can pretty confidently say that those who can dig it will absolutely love it. It is definitely an interesting take on 90's emo hardcore.
Tracklist:
There are 34 songs on here, equating to over 70 minutes of music.
Sorry, but I don't feel like typing out all of the titles. :(
- i admit i ate the ornamental shrubbery, kiss kiss -
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