Starting of with the classic “Weak Warm,” Hot Rod Circuit kicks off their 1999 Triple Crown release If I Knew Now What I Knew Then in unclaimed rock territory: a little more punk than Weezer and a little more garage pop than Built to Spill. Lofty comparisons both, but Hot Rod Circuit deserves to be considered alongside only the best of ’90s rockers. After a slight two-song lull, the heartsick “Remover” confirms that this pseudo-debut from relocated Alabama natives Andy Jackson (guitars/vocals), Casey Prestwood (guitars), Jay Russel (bass), and drummer Wes Cross is of rare significance. Combining reckless guitars and oblique but emotive vocals into a giant primitive racket, Hot Rod Circuit’s initial offering is nearly unmatched in its time with the possible exception of touring mates At the Drive-In’s Relationship of Command. More than second-wave emocore, If I Knew Now What I Knew Then is one of just a handful of late-’90s discs that even aspired to breathe life into guitar rock. – Jason Anderson
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