In 2003,
Ariel Pink was an art school dropout living in L.A., working at a record store by day and recording druggy, lo-fi psychedelic pop with any free moment. He was still almost completely unknown by the time of
Worn Copy, but had already issued at least a half-dozen albums of his specifically damaged songs in the form of handmade CD-Rs. As with all of his material at that point,
Worn Copy masked catchy melodic sensibilities and a keen ear for hooks under obtuse waves of noise, but this chapter of
Pink's output was particularly multi-colored.