Moss Icon’s Lyburnum Wits End Liberation Fly (33 1/3)

Moss Icon have been hailed as emo pioneers. Their 1993 album Lyburnum Wits End Liberation Fly has garnered well deserved praise. Rolling Stone named it one of the “40 Greatest Emo Albums of All Time,” and declared that the album “still sounds ahead of its time.” Pitchfork placed it on the “Highest Rated Post-Hardcore Albums of All Time” list and gave it “Best Reissue” accolades. Zak Fusciello, fan-turned-Moss Icon drummer shares an insider/outsider’s view of this enigmatic band including their history and development. The book also features an in-depth analysis of the album’s lyrics through extensive interviews with band members and other musicians from the scene. Fusciello, a psychotherapist, explores the loss, grief and transformation that is at the heart of Lyburnum Wits End Liberation Fly’s lyrics. From family members with severe mental illness to death, the lyrics of Lyburnum tell vocalist/lyricist Jonathan Vance’s story of processing trauma, overcoming loss and seeking sanctuary. As the first book on Moss Icon, Fusciello’s account helps fill in the gaps of post-punk music history.