The final record from Florida's punk powerhouse
Discount is an amazing swan song that makes the band's demise even harder to accept.
Alison Mosshart is without a doubt the focal point of the group, and her powerful lyrics and delivery are better than ever on this release. With a fragile but forceful voice and unmatched emotion,
Mosshart gives the band a unique edge, and they pretty much run with it. This is probably their best sounding record, and the production of J. Robbins helps it all along. The playing of the rest of the band is also hard to overlook here, and rather than the
J Church-styled punk-isms that fueled past records, there is plenty to marvel at on
Crash Diagnostic. Jagged guitars and bizarre timing make the record distinctive, and the sturdy punk backbone remains intact enough to give the energetic tracks a pummeling core. While it is distressing to know that the band packed it in after this record, it is also impressive to realize that they came so far in their short careers.
Crash Diagnostic is a truly mature record for the band, yet it retains all of the melodic sense that their earlier records employed. This record is the output of a talented group, and
Mosshart uses it to prove once and for all that she is in the upper echelon of female punk vocalists, if not one of the best punk singers out there.
Discount fans will obviously adore this record, but curious ears should hunt it out too, as they will undoubtedly be impressed. ~ Peter J. D'Angelo