A blitzkrieg fusion of hardcore punk,
Sonic Youth-style noise freak-outs, heavy metal, and melodic hard rock in the vein of
Neil Young,
You're Living All Over Me was a turning point in American underground rock & roll. With its thin, unbalanced mix, the album sounds positively menacing and edgy --
Lou Barlow's bass barrels forward over
Murph's clanking drums, with
J Mascis' guitar twisting pummeling riffs and careening, occasionally atonal solos. It established guitar heroics as a part of indie rock, bringing the noise of
Sonic Youth into more conventional song structures. Also,
Mascis' laconic, self-absorbed whine was a distinct departure from the furious post-hardcore rants, or the mumbling
Michael Stipe imitations, that dominated indie rock. While the songwriting is occasionally uneven, the best moments of
You're Living All Over Me -- "Little Fury Things," "Raisans," "In a Jar," and
Barlow's proto-
Sebadoh "Poledo" -- retain their power, and it's possible to hear the record's influence throughout alternative rock.