This came out in 2002 – or at least that’s when I got it. Here’s what I said about it back then (with some minor editing):
Curb? More like Beginning Of The Road.
Striking while their popularity is still red-hot — and fresh from winning a lawsuit over ownership of these tapes — Alberta-born chart-toppers Nickelback have reissued this independently released 1996 debut. But if you’re expecting some sort of shocking revelation, save your pennies. Curb sounds exactly like you’d expect: A first album by a band whose reach exceeded their grasp. Like their next CD The State, Curb is not nearly as polished and anthemic as their breakthrough set Silver Side Up, but it does show that they come by their sound honestly. These dozen cuts contain all the same post-grunge angst, snarling guitars, pounding drums and brooding moods the band now employ with greater effectiveness. Bottom line: It’s OK but far from essential. After all, we’ve already been down this road.
