The Alice in Chains guys took a little longer to achieve the right balance between their sound and songs, but they were dropping some pretty strong ones by the time they put out Dirt in late 1992. However, it was 1994's groundbreaking Jar of Flies EP on which Layne Staley and Jerry Cantrell's writing fully matured. As a lyricist, Staley had already been laser focused, specifically on the heroin addiction that was wracking his body and mind, but the subtler approach to his problem he took on Jar of Flies served his songs particularly well.
In terms of melody and arrangements, Jar of Flies was a massive leap forward too, and the guys were not only sold enough units to have the first EP to go to number one in the United States but also a couple of the very best singles of one of rock's very best years. Not everything on Flies matches those standards -- "Don't Follow" is bit pedestrian and the swing-jazz lark undermines the album's most poignant lyric with goofy music-- but you wouldn't want to be without the perfectly crafted pop hit "No Excuses" or the brooding and elegant "I Stay Away" (which was also at the center of what may be the finest music video ever made, for what it's worth). Cantrell's eerie instrumental "Whale & Wasp" is excellent too.
For its 30th anniversary, Jar of Flies is receiving its first ever vinyl release in the U.S. The album has been remastered for the occasion, and though I found it to be a bit on the mid-rangey side and just the slightest touch sibilant, the sound stage is pretty deep and the low end is sufficiently full. The vinyl was a bit crackly out of the shrink wrap, although it's possible that a deep cleaning might ameliorate that. It is perfectly flat with a well-centered spindle hole
