3 out of 5

Label: Skin Graft Records

Produced by: Tommy Meehan

Containing their Sweatband debut plus the tracks from their Skin Graft 7″ – plus a couple demo cuts – this is certainly the most cost effective way to catch up on the Squiddies, but I’m not sure it’s wholly a necessity if you have one release or the other.

The SG stuff is arguably more evolved: having the comparison better underlines how the group played up their pop elements (and no-wavey stylistic shifts) between the releases, but the Kurt Ballou mix of the earlier album still rocks and is worth hearing; the net experience between the two doesn’t necessarily equate to more being better, is all. It’s good stuff, without any real “key” tracks that require either release over the other.

The demo tracks do prove the duo can bring this stuff without much studio trickery, but similarly don’t add any missing notes to their story.

If you’re Squid curious, any release will do, but this is the easiest way to catch up on everything. …Sans the comic book from the 7″, of course.