DAG NASTY - Wig Out At Denko's LP

Label: Dischord

One album later and literally half the band had changed. Doug Carrion took over on bass, being just as competent though not otherwise as distinguished as his predecessor, Roger Marbury, while Dave Smalley was also gone, to be replaced by the lyrically similar-minded Peter Cortner.

The latter's singing is rather more ragged than Smalley's sometimes blunter work, but the fact that he's not trying to simply ape Smalley actually helps make him much more distinct as a result. Both use speaking as part of their delivery, and Cortner's thinner voice actually suits the fragility of his lyrics quite well, arguably being just that much more effective than Smalley's approach, which sometimes sounded challenging even while pondering personal issues.

Baker's still doing a good job all around on guitar, and if anything, stretching himself further at creating true anthems for the disaffected, feeling big and heroic while still embracing punk's simplicity, as the fantastic title track shows.