Fantastic Planet

Failure were hardly avant-gardists of ’90s alt-rock, but Fantastic Planet — the L.A. trio’s career-defining third LP — still earns its place alongside earlier landmarks such as Nevermind, Loveless and Ritual de lo Habitual as an enduring classic of the period. There’s power in the economy of these songs, the way tracks such as “Saturday Savior” and “Smoking Umbrellas” need only a simple dynamic uptick to explode out of the speakers. Vocalist Ken Andrews, who shares guitar and bass duties with Greg Edwards, isn’t much for shouty histrionics; his understated delivery anchors the album in eerie calm, even when drummer Kellii Scott is mercilessly pummeling his kit. By its later stretches, the album reveals itself as much bigger than “alternative,” attaining a rare brand of psych-pop pathos on highlights such as “The Nurse Who Loved Me” and “Another Space Song.” Through its artful segue tracks and patient turns, Fantastic Planet lives up to its title — once you touch down, you don’t want to leave.