MINT CONDITION "Discontent", the debut LP by Boston hardcore quintet Spirits (x members of TEST OF TIME, NO HARM DONE, BEARTRAP, OFFSIDES, DAYTRADER, and more), is an unrelenting 24 minute listening experience. Musically, it is a natural evolutionary step forward following the bands self-titled 7 inch EP and it marks the first fully cohesive release on which Spirits have carved out a niche for their own melting-pot style of punk and hardcore with dashes of outside genres also thrown in for taste. An eloquent push in lyrical themes, ranging from deeply personal and introspective notations to observations on the current social and political climate pair effortlessly with the often urgent playing style of the instrumentation to create a truly unique release. The contents of the grooves on the LP are far from the only distinctive feature of the LP, as the record itself is housed in a tri-layer package. It starts with a vertical 7.5 inch wide printed wrap that, once removed, allows for the die-cut diagonally-opening jacket to be pulled apart, revealing the last but not least layer of a printed inner dust sleeve. With stunning hand-drawn artwork that lends itself to this notable design, the package as a whole is really something to behold.
