This came out in 2004 – or at least that’s when I got it. Here’s what I said about it back then (with some minor editing):
When is a reissue not really a reissue? When it’s The Minus 5’s In Rock.
Recorded back in 2000 by singer-guitarist / R.E.M. sideman / Seattle slacker Scott McCaughey and his ever-changing band of power-pop misfits (usually including employer Peter Buck), this disc was originally a limited-edition affair sold only at M5 shows. Now, in typically haphazard fashion, McCaughey has rejigged it for wide release, dropping a couple of cuts and adding a few new ones. Whatever their age or pedigree, however, these tracks bear McCaughey’s unmistakable stamps — the strummy Byrdsian jangle, the arch Kinksian wit, the snappy choruses, the perfect balance of ’60s melody and ’70s pop crunch. Sure, you’ll wish you’d heard it four years ago — but hey, better late than never.
