The members of Pulley spent more time together in the studio crafting their third album than any of their previous records, and it showed - 1999's "@#!*" was their tightest, hardest-hitting album up to that point. There was little of the jokey, throwaway humor that popped up on their debut; nearly all the lyrics dealt with the sort of inward-looking angst that punk-influenced bands like Husker Du and Nirvana popularized. Even if there was a certain sameness to some of the melodic progressions, Pulley overall was a workmanlike effort from seasoned veterans who had learned how to work together and had been making this sort of music for a long time. Now available again on vinyl.
