“By definition, a crush must hurt — and they do,” sang That Dog’s Anna Waronker on “Long Island,” one of 13 songs from the L.A. band’s 1997 swan song Retreat From the Sun. The album split the difference perfectly between lovestruck and over-it, feminine and tomboyish, grunge and indie pop. The crush-worthy foursome — Waronker, drummer Tony Maxwell and twins Rachel (bass) and Petra Haden (violin) — never hit it big like their DGC labelmates and fellow Angelenos Beck and Weezer did. At the same time, That Dog also never slid into mediocrity, leaving behind a small but sturdy three-album catalog that saved its best for last with Retreat. Still, as fun as secret-handshake cult classics are, the record deserved better than it got, arriving during alternative rock’s twilight (just before the nü-metal explosion) and a few years before vinyl began staging a comeback. I’m not sure what prompted Jack White & Co. to do their part to fix that by releasing Retreat for the first time on LP via White’s Third Man Records (along with 1995’s Totally Crushed Out!), but it’s as appreciated as it is unexpected. Own a piece of power-pop gold and support your neighborhood rock ’n’ roll gift shop/record pressing plant/rock venue compound — a win-win. CHARLIE ZAILLIAN
Check Out Third Man’s That Dog Reissues
