It’s a bit much to say that almost halfway around the world from early 1980s New York a Christchurch, New Zealand trio elevated No Wave and invented Sonic Youth, but the distinct, clangorous power of the Gordons’ self-titled debut remains both incredibly prescient and shockingly modern still. It’s all the more impressive given the sleeve credits saying it was all done in under 24 hours, but the dark swing and explosiveness of “Spik and Span” and the unsettled guitar textures of “Sometimes” and “Coalminers Song” simply can’t be denied.

– Ned Raggett