Nail

J.G. Thirlwell’s follow-up to 1984’s Hole was just as much a one-man show as everything he’d done before, but it felt more epic — instrumentals like “Overture From Pigdom Come” and “Theme From Pigdom Come,” slathered in strings created via Fairlight synthesizer, show that he could have easily competed with Danny Elfman for movie and TV scoring gigs. He’d become a better singer, too, hitting some impressive high notes on “The Throne of Agony” and delivering a theatrical rockabilly-inspired performance on the wild “Descent Into the Inferno.” Nail is the perfect entry point into Thirlwell’s sonic universe, showcasing his personality, lyrical wit, and stunning compositional/arranging abilities in 40 relentless minutes.