10 Obscure Grunge Albums You Need To Listen To
9. Paw - Dragline
Paw’s brief lifespan saw them release two records in the early to mid ‘90s before disbanding to chase new projects. Their debut, Dragline, was released in 1993. It’s no frills, abrasive grunge. And it’s very good indeed.
Paw aren’t much for pomp and circumstance - these are 12 rockers each of around 4 minutes long, by the end of which one can only imagine the band is absolutely spent. This is particularly true of Mark Hennessey, who goes hard on the microphone on every track, showing off the qualities of his voice before building to a crescendo of screaming.
“Pansy” might be the hardest of the bunch, a song that never stops building, layers of wah-laced guitar piling onto thudding drums, a shrieking topline, and Hennessey’s increasingly frantic vocals. “Couldn’t Know”, meanwhile, is downright jolly in its melody, though no less noisy for it.
The record wasn't a big seller but it produced a minor radio hit in “Jessie”, surely one of the chunkiest songs about a dog ever recorded. If you’re after a consistent, hard rocking album of an evening, this one will get you where you need to be.