6. No Pocky For Kitty (1991)

The superb No Pocky For Kitty finds Superchunk tightening their sound to a highwire breaking point, with new producer Steve Albini bringing out all of the brilliant tension and anguish that was previously laid just beneath the surface of the group's dynamics. Startling songs like the opener "Skip Steps 1 & 3" and "Seed Toss" are urgent punk pop classics. McCaughan's songwriting chops are not fully realized by this point and as the album progresses, tracks like "Press" fail to achieve the same vaulting heights, but by and large this is a tremendous record portending greatness at every turn.