COLORED VINYL
As the early '90s grunge explosion propelled Seattle's flannel-clad misfits from the seedy downtown clubs into the mainstream, a new generation of restless artists filled the void left in the Pacific Northwest's underground music scene. Many of the under-21s who made music in the wake of "Nevermind" seemed even less enthusiastic about the slick production values, classic rock references and testosterone-fueled mosh culture that accompanied the zeitgeist. They preferred their own brand of Revolution Summer, moving away from the popular sounds of the era and towards a more emotionally nuanced, melodic and inclusive style of punk. Washington's Puget Sound trio Lync perfectly captured the spirit of the era, fusing the passionate chaos of the DC and San Diego scenes with the raw DIY pop sensibilities of Olympia's thriving indie community into a unified sound. Although they were only a band for two years, they helped define the next era of the Northwest Underground, inspiring countless other artists and sparking the creation of popular records from the region. After being out of print for over a decade, the band's only LP, "These Are Not Fall Colors", has now been remastered and expanded into a 2xLP, which includes "Can't Tie Yet" - a compilation track from the recording session of the album - was added. Originally released on K Records in the summer of '94, just months before the band called it quits, "These Are Not Fall Colors" is a boisterous collection of rowdy anthems played on taped-together machines. Led by the quirky melodies of the late singer and guitarist Sam Jayne and driven by the driving bass of James Bertram and the drums of David Schneider, the album's eleven songs channel that indefinable sound of the early '90s, before descriptors like "post-hardcore" and “Emo” became pejorative terms. Sure, on songs like "B" and "Silverspoon Glasses" you get a feel for the more sophisticated mid-tempo punk approach, and on "Pennies to Save" and "Cue Cards" you might catch a hint of wistful songwriting, but Lync seem to absorb their ideas from whatever inspiration they could find in the gray gloom and geographical isolation of western Washington and combine them into a style all their own. Despite Lync's short existence, its modest ambitions, and its DIY approach, its work has had a major impact. From then on, Jayne made music under the name Love As Laughter. Built to Spill's Doug Martsch loved the album so much that he hired Bertram and Schneider as the rhythm section for the "There's Nothing Wrong with Love" tour. Phil Ek, the sound engineer for These Are Not Fall Colors, was later involved in the recording and production of Fleet Foxes, Band of Horses and The Shins. Former bassist Isaac Brock and "These Are Not Fall Colors" artwork designer Jeremiah Green later founded Modest Mouse. Bertram and Green also later founded the respected indie rock group Red Stars Theory. Sometimes it feels like you could pick any Northwest indie rock group from the '90s and '00s and trace their DNA back to Lync. The deluxe edition of These Are Not Fall Colors is pressed on 180g color-in-color vinyl and packaged in a gatefold sleeve with printed inner sleeves and expanded artwork by Jesse LeDoux. The 2xLP also includes an 18x24 poster with detailed liner notes by Brian Cook
