Hagfish's delicious debut,
...Rocks Your Lame Ass, is one of the '90s most overlooked
pop-punk secrets. Filled to the brim with snappy riffs, hooky choruses, and a smart-ass attitude, just why it didn't propel the Dallas quartet into a
rock mainstream made
punk-friendly by the likes of
Green Day and
the Offspring is anyone's guess. Performed with impeccable chops and topped by singer
George Reagan III's melancholy nasal croon, two-minute gems like
"Flat," "Bullet," "Disappointed," and euphoric opener
"Happiness" are simply outstanding
pop songs by any definition. Yet, for whatever reason, they went largely unnoticed by the public at large -- despite the band's major-label backing, high-energy live act, and snappy, matching black suits. In fact, only leadoff single
"Stamp," with its hilarious tale of gender-reversed office romance, achieved anything vaguely resembling radio support as a
novelty number. Bummer! Worth seeking out, kids. ~ Eduardo Rivadavia
