I’m not sure if there has ever been a record quite like Worship and Tribute. People talk a lot about bands trafficking in loudness and softness, but nobody ever did it quite like Glassjaw did here.
And while their heavy tracks are among the best in the biz (see: the first three tracks, “Pink Roses,” “Radio Cambodia”), the ballads on this album are absolutely unforgettable. “Ape Dos Mil” and “Must’ve Run All Day” pack just as much of a punch at a fraction of the tempo.
And at the end of the day, I’m not sure which is more impressive: that Daryl Palumbo’s keeping up with the band’s fury, or the band matching his mania. But I do know (from singing along in the car as a teenager: this album was essentially my Advanced Vocal Techniques class) that Palumbo’s performance is one of the most physically demanding around.
Once upon a time, I was really into the whole alt-country/indie folk thing (I blame Bright Eyes’ I’m Wide Awake, It’s Morning and Cassadega). But luckily, that window coincided with Jenny Lewis’ best entry into that scene.
Like most people, my first experience with Future Islands was 
Chris Simpson, mastermind of The Gloria Record, started out as the lead singer of everyone’s favorite Sunny Day Real Estate tribute band (fight me). When Mineral broke up, he grabbed a couple guys and started making the same sort of slow, cascading guitar music.