Editor’s Note: From Albumism’s inception back in 2016, we’ve remained unabashedly and unequivocally passionate about our mission of celebrating the world's love affairs with albums past, present and future.

But while our devotion to the album as an art form has remained steadfast, as evidenced by our deepening repository of individual album tributes and reviews, we’ve admittedly seldom taken the opportunity to explicitly articulate our reverence for the virtues of artists’ complete album repertoires as a whole.

Hence why we’ve decided to showcase what we believe to be the most dynamic discographies of all time in this recurring series. In doing so, we hope to better understand the broader creative context within which our most beloved individual albums exist, while acknowledging the full breadth of their creators’ artistry, career arcs, and overall contributions to the ever-evolving musical landscape.

We hope you enjoy this series and be sure to check here periodically for the latest installments.

SLEATER-KINNEY

When much of the ‘90s alternative explosion had cooled down to mere embers, Sleater-Kinney began churning out incendiary records that remained true to their early politically engaged and enraged Riot Grrrl beginnings—but with a grown-up slant. Though both their 1995 self-titled debut and 1996’s Call the Doctor have their many merits, it was 1997’s Dig Me Out—with the addition of Janet Weiss on drums—that established the all-women band as a driving, thriving, hard-hitting force, and one of the most exciting bands of the new era.

In addition to Dig Me Out as a standout, of particular note in their late-’90s/early 2000s offerings is the intricately styled One Beat (2002), the band’s post-9/11 album grieving the attacks and offering up scathing criticism of George W. Bush, while Corin Tucker simultaneously contended with becoming a new mother after a particularly difficult birth.

Though Sleater-Kinney’s sound is distinct, idiosyncratic and immediately recognizable, the band has also evolved and morphed quite noticeably in sophistication over the decades. While their debut is raw, scream-y, lo-fi punk rock of the purest kind—a sound I love and gravitate toward to this day—there’s also The Woods, with its ginormous, slick stadium sound that was inspired by an arena tour opening for Pearl Jam. And yet it’s still wholly Sleater-Kinney.

However, the band isn’t afraid to settle into a space that’s a bit more mellow and introspective. Despite its seemingly high-energy title, 1999’s The Hot Rock is a comparatively low-key (if not brooding) record, as is 2000’s All Hands On The Bad One. Even better: Corin Tucker and Carrie Brownstein’s unique and captivating co-singing works with both wild, caterwauling wails and pretty, layered harmonies.

After 2005’s aforementioned The Woods, there was a 10-year hiatus that proved to be a period of intense creative incubation. Sleater-Kinney came roaring back with 2015’s No Cities To Love, a rocking and careening record that continued in the vein of that very tight, refined studio-and-stadium sound. There’s also 2019’s Annie Clark (St. Vincent)-produced The Center Won’t Hold, which incorporates electronic elements and shimmering New Wave-inspired hooks and choruses for a fresh, industrial-disco and art-rock take on the band. And 2021’s The Path of Wellness is an easy, cascading pop-rock album, the band’s first self-produced album, and their first without Janet Weiss since 1997. Though Path of Wellness falls a little flat in an otherwise interesting comeback streak, there really are no duds in the entire Sleater-Kinney catalog.

Erika’s 3 Favorite Sleater-Kinney Albums of All Time:

1. The Woods (2005)
2. Dig Me Out (1997)
3. One Beat (2002)

VISIT Sleater-Kinney’s Official Store

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