Good Old American Weirdness

JasonReeher

Moving further away from his days with Camper Van Beethoven, David Lowery (with songwriting partner Johnny Hickman) aimed to set the world on fire with Kerosene Hat. In the midst of grunge and bubble-gum punk, Cracker could have been a tough sell for record label honchos; instead, the album became a watershed for everything the mid-90s could be for an experimental rock band. Like Pavement, Cracker delved deep into Americana, and came up with a whole lot of weirdness. Lowrey busted out everything from searing hard rock ("Let's Go For a Ride") to post-ironic ballads ("Eurotrash Girl") to pure Haggard-style country ("Lonesome Johnny Blues.") Musically, Cracker did what they wanted. Lowrey and his mates had thrown down an alternative rock milestone, and done it without selling out to the grungy trends of the day (a scene Lowrey skewered on "Get Off This"). Essential.