Pleased to Meet Me (Expanded Edition)

Pleased to Meet Me (Expanded Edition)

By their fifth studio album, The Replacements had cemented themselves as punk icons and decided to mix it up a bit. They sound like they’re having as much fun as ever with the handclapping doo-wop of “Alex Chilton” and the tight horns and strings of “Can’t Hardly Wait”. A streak of jazz enters the sound palette with “Nightclub Jitters”, awash in smoky bass, languorous hi-hat and sultry piano. And the sparse, acoustic “Skyway”, one of the band’s most beautiful efforts, highlights Paul Westerberg’s vocal prowess.