Whisper Tames the Lion

Still inflected with hillbilly/bluegrass roots and edging ever closer toward the hard rock sound they would ultimately embrace, this album was produced by New York No Wave drummer Anton Fier. It offers a good mix of both styles, as on the steady title cut, the hard-rocking boogie "Powerhouse," and gentle "The Friend Song," an anthem of sorts for the band's college-age fans throughout the South.