Couple Tracks: Singles 2002-2009

It’s doubtful that even the most diligent collector has all of Fucked Up‘s material, since the group's seven hand-pressed releases were generally only available as limited editions at select shows or internationally. Couple Tracks: Singles 2002-2009 acts as part two of their previous Epics in Minutes comp, and piles together tracks from the Year of the Pig and Year of the Dog 12" releases, previously unheard outtakes from studio sessions, and rarities from over a dozen 7" records. On this double-CD or double-LP set (with the first disc titled The Hard Stuff and the second named The Fun Stuff), Fucked Up's sense of humor outshines their usually gruff demeanor as they whip through "singles" like the holiday ode "David Christmas," the comically sentimental "I Hate Summer,” the blitzkrieg boppy "Anarok City,” and the ridiculous “He’s So Frisky.” As well as showing off the band's lighthearted side, the bulk of the material showcases the group at its most extreme and bold. Fucked Up took some indie pop detours along the way (Year of the Pig's orchestral swells, for instance), but for the most part between 2002 and 2009, Pink Eyes and company were brutal. Granted, 25 songs of fast, furious, gravelly hardcore punk may seem like a lot to take -- and some of the raw alternate takes are in better form as fully evolved multi-tracked versions on the excellent Chemistry of Common Life and Hidden World albums -- but even so, most of the songs included on Couple Tracks are absolute necessities.