This tape has a surprising number of good ideas—rather a feat, considering it's by an unknown quartet of rich suburban high school grads who were trying to sound like Echo & The Bunnymen and any number of other alternative rock heroes. There's a bit of that distinct central & southwest Ohio indie rock vibe at times, including a funk-based tune, but the alcohol-fueled, proud-to-be-barely-trying sound that would dominate this region's 1990s scene is nowhere to be found here. Rather, every song by this band is grounded in a strong sense of what an alternative pop song of the late '80s should sound like...upbeat with an edge, with a deliberate regard for producing a certain aesthetic for the listener, never letting any particular element of the song or performance hog the spotlight.Of course, since they are amateurs, there are some bum notes and sub-par recordings. There is also the usual "we're new at this" sense that each bandmember gets to have a song on the album, whether it's good or not.For me, though, there is magic in the album's lead track, "The Rain". It could have easily been the A-side of a collectible 7" today if they had had the wherewithal to perfect and showcase just a few of their best songs. But that's not why I love it so much.I first heard The Underprivileged play on a warm, late spring day in 1988, when we were high school seniors. I had, through some fluke, been invited to a pre-graduation party at Jon Chinn's house. I knew maybe one person there, but didn't want to leave because going home would be bad, and maybe if I stayed, I would make a new friend. I had no idea there would be live music.The band was loud, so people kind of scattered to hear themselves talk. But the band was also pretty good, for high schoolers, so no one strayed too far.As "The Rain" started up, the humidity topped 100% and a downpour began, right on cue. There was electricity in the air. I stood in the doorway of the garage where the band was playing, and watched and listened in amazement. It was like a scene from a movie. Out on the front lawn, partygoers who had scattered earlier were now dancing barefoot on the grass, getting soaked from head to toe. At the street, two girls sat on the curb and, still moving to the music, clapped and laughed as they splashed each other, excitedly kicking at the torrent of water that was rushing for the nearest storm drain.The music sounded exactly like it does on the tape: maybe a little off-key, but full of pop energy and perfectly embodying the sound of the suburban, post-punk, Gen-X '80s. It felt so fresh and now, and like it was our music...and it was all those things. We were living the dream, just for that moment, the end of high school in 1988. Everyone, including the band, was beaming with joy.In that moment, I was no longer the new kid at school, no longer fleeing an abusive home, no longer friendless and struggling. Everyone was on the same page when that song was playing, feeling for just a few minutes that the best time of our lives was right then, right there.