Emergency & I

Emergency & I is the third album by American indie rock band, the Dismemberment Plan. Released in 1999, and reissued on vinyl in 2011 with 4 bonus tracks, it is considered the best album from Dismemberment Plan so far, based on a Pitchfork’s Review.

The album was praised upon its initial release. It managed to garner great reviews from the likes of Alternative Press and Rolling Stone, and Treble magazine ranked the album as the best of 1999. The album is considered to be timeless.

Zachary Houle of Popmatters stated what makes the album good:

There are at least three things that make Emergency & I truly special. First of all, there’s the rhythm section: the bass and drums are completely in organic lockstep without sounding forced or robotic. There’s a whack of different types of percussion on the record, from punk-like tribal pounding to the well-placed use of kitschy drum machines, the latter particularly on “You Are Invited”. Every beat is well placed without a hint of sloppiness and you can dive headlong into the Swiss-watch grooves to be found here. According to the liner notes, co-producer J. Robbins was responsible for keeping the band playing in tempo together, which is a testament to the album’s austere sense of timekeeping.