Neutral Feedback

I generally don't buy anything nowadays, unless I've at least listened to a few songs from the record. I've been burned too many times, and I've got more than a few mid-90's emo/hardcore records that I took a chance on and they ended up being total shit. No more! With today's access to free "illegal" downloads via soulseek, or bands loading new songs up to their myspace page, I typically avoid all the risk in buying new music. About a month ago I was listening to the excellent Neutral Nation 7 inch from 1992, I Need You On The Job, and it dawned on me that I had never checked out any of the band's other records. Soulseek turned up nothing, and I got the same thing when I did an internet search to see if someone had uploaded something to a music sharing blog. Out of curiosity, I did a search on eBay and found that someone had the 1987 It's A Bash album up with a Best Offer option, so I took a chance and I grabbed it. Man, I loved the 1992 record, but this one really falls flat for me. I don't know, at times it reminds me of The Adicts, other times I hear a Stiff Little Fingers influence, but for some reason this record really doesn't move me. There are some good songs, but for the most part this one is disappointing. That will teach me for taking a chance on a new record without hearing it first.