Not unlike the atmospheric, moody punk of Samiam, Knapsack, or the Jealous Sound, Portland quartet Alien Boy posture affecting, melodic masterpieces heavy on the guitar and light on flash. Their debut LP, Never Getting over It, is the type of album best played in the throes of some emotional crisis—a kind of therapeutic fuck-you love letter. The sentiment hits hard on solid tracks like "I Want You," delivered with a subtle sneer under all those layered guitars. A fantastic cover of the Smiths' "Hand in Glove" paces the back half of the record, segueing into the dreamy grunge of "Never Will" and the frenzied sonics of standout track "Blacking Out." Portland's Blowout headlines a completely non-ironic '90s revival night that people who came of age in the '90s would be thoughtless to skip. RYAN J. PRADO