His songs are cryptic and crazed, his ideas fast and furious, and together they force the home-recording concept out of the basement and into a brave new world .a fuzzy masterpiece of experimental lo-fi recording
Allmusic.com
Finally comes a reissue for the fuzzy, literate and imaginative debut for Jeff Mangumâs Neutral Milk Hotel, On Avery Island. Full of rapid-fire wordplay with true and heartfelt experimentation, both ambitious and eclectic, itâs not hard to see why this has been such an influential album.
Part of the fabled Elephant 6 collective Neutral Milk Hotel won over many a music critic with this cult classic released in 1996. The band are recognized as one of the most influential alternative acts to come out of the mid-90s and sowed the seeds for everything from anti-folk to the likes of Arcade Fire, Caribou and even Franz Ferdinand.
On its original release, this album ranked #35 in the annual Village Voice Jazz & Pop Critics' Poll. Also, Spin proclaimed this album one of the ten best "you didn't hear" of 1996.
+ Lovingly repackaged in double gatefold sleeve
+ Digipak includes both the original US and European Artwork
+ Disc includes the âEverything Isâ single and b-side âSnow Song Pt.1â from the original 7â release.