(Independent Release) Dead Neighbors offer a lean yet noisy respite from Athens’ dude-grunge explosion. The band’s self-titled debut harkens to a more sensitive side of underground rock, blending the jangly drive of The Wedding Present with the lo-fi slacker aesthetics of Sebadoh and early Camper Van Beethoven.

While Dead Neighbors’ scuzzy production often leads to a whole bunch of racket, the Neighbors boast some downright tuneful tracks, like the cheery “Apathy.” The record’s highlight is “Ever,” a glorious four-minute number (the longest on the album) that floats from strident riffage into rowdy shoegazing.

Other touches—the blistering solos on the otherwise brisk-’n’-breezy “Tell”; ambient interludes; quick blasts, like the cheeky garage stomp “In the End the Devil Always Wins” and the gnarly, Husker Dü-ish “Twitch”—prove that Dead Neighbors can flex their noggins as much as their muscles.