It’s really cool listening to Is This Real? and realizing how much Nirvana took from it. Of course, Kurt Cobain cited Wipers as an influence constantly. That influence is never more obvious than on songs like “D-7” and “Potential Suicide,” which Cobain borrows the vocal stylings of on earlier Nirvana tracks, like the kind on Bleach or Incesticide.

But enough about that; I just thought it was neat. Wipers are a phenomenal band by their own right. Is This Real? is a good album, but I feel it pales in comparison to Youth of America and Over the Edge. I’m honestly surprised it’s even considered in the same league or better than them by some. To me, it’s a notch below. Just a notch, granted. Greg Sage still had a bit to go as a songwriter and musician. His hooks aren’t as catchy, and his playing isn’t as viscerally smooth as it would become. He occasionally does a sweet job here, like on the punk manifestos “Return of the Rat” and “D-7.” And I can’t go without mentioning “Mystery,” the closest thing to a pop song the Wipers ever made. Borders on New Wave, that one.