A curiously incomplete anthology of
Unwound
's non-LP singles and compilation tracks -- two early singles,
"Kandy Korn Rituals"
and
"You Bite My Tongue,"
are inexplicably missing, although one previously unreleased track,
"Mile Me Deaf,"
is included --
A Single History: 1991-1997
is nonetheless essential for fans of the Olympia-based noise rockers. Of course, like all such compilations, it's a rather hit-or-miss affair, featuring both utterly essential tracks like the whisper-to-a-scream dynamics of the quietly tense
"Eternalux"
and the
Sonic Youth
-like rocker
"Negated"
to a few failed experiments and lesser efforts like the dull, detuned
"Said Serial."
One particular standout is the epic
"The Light at the End of the Tunnel Is a Train,"
a ten-minute seeming improvisation with samples and found-sound vocals that sounds very much like what the experimental
post-rock
leader
Justin Trosper
and former
drummer
Brandt Sandeno
would further explore on
the Replikants
'
Slickaphonics
. ~ Stewart Mason