ARTIST: Squirrel Bait 
TITLE: Squirrel Bait
YEAR RELEASED: 1985
CHART ACTION: None
SINGLES: Technically an EP
OTHER SONGS YOU MAY KNOW: Well, maybe if you followed the family tree of Slint.
LINEUP: David Grubbs, Clark Johnson, Brian McMahan, Peter Searcy, Ben Daughtry. Britt Walford drummed on two tracks taken from their demo.
WHAT’S IT ALL ABOUT: Punky band from Louisville document themselves after opening for several prominent bands who were touring in the midwest.
SOME WORDS, PHRASES AND CLAUSES ABOUT THIS RECORD: These were kids who were inspired by the punk scene and not radio. Just out of high school, they toured with Husker Du and Black Flag, among others, and got enough buzz to get in a bidding war of sorts between punk labels before settling with Homestead.
The sound is definitely an evolution of the original punk scene, with melodies and textural changes that complement the punk, and doesn’t sound like it was grafted onto it unwillingly. “Sun God” may be the beginning of the emo movement with Peter Searcy’s pleading over a simple guitar line, then a mild cacophony. It’s like Die Kreuzen with better production and a better lead singer.
There’s still a lot of hardfastrules here, but the variety in sounds is something that differentiated the band from other youngsters trodding the punk rock boards in the 80’s
NOTES & MINUTIAE: Steve Albini designed the cover. .
IS THERE A DELUXE VERSION: No
GRADE: B+: Pretty good EP that was influential for the right people.
