"Excellent Italian Greyhound" is the fourth studio album by an American rock band, Shellac. The album was released on June 5, 2007, under the label Touch and Go Records. This album marked Shellac's return after a gap of seven years since their previous album "1000 Hurts" (2000).
The 9-track album showcases the band's minimalist and noise rock style, with the majority of compositions written by the band members - Steve Albini (vocals, guitar), Bob Weston (bass, vocals), and Todd Trainer (drums). The name of the album, "Excellent Italian Greyhound," is supposedly a reference to Trainer's Italian Greyhound, Uffizi.
The band, famed for its raw and unyielding aesthetic, recorded this album whilst maintaining their ethical and practical stance on music distribution and record production. Famous tracks include "Be Prepared", "Elephant", and "Genuine Lulabelle". Its heavy, distorted guitars and methodical rhythm form the core essence of the album.
Although it received mixed reviews by critics, the album managed to cement Shellac's image as an influential contributor to post-hardcore and noise rock genres. The album explicitly magnifies the band's unique heavy rock style, interspersed with narratives that are bleak, aggressive, and sometimes, humorous. The music is filled with unconventional time signatures, and precision song structures, exhibiting the band's artful musicianship.
