Four extremely underrated 1990s albums by American bands

Cracker - Kerosene Hat (1993)

This album is so underrated that one cannot even find it on Amazon Music now. This is a shame because not only did the record produce some often-played singles in 1993 and 1994, but the songs that were not released as singles might make up the majority of the best tracks on the album. You may have heard "Low" but you might not have heard "Take Me Down to the Infirmary" and that is just a shame.

The name of the album comes from when vocalist David Lowery, who you may also know from Camper Van Beethoven, and guitarist Johnny Hickman were living together in a small house in Richmond, Virginia, and needed kerosene to help stay warm in the winter. Lowery would often bundle up, including a wool hat, to walk to a nearby store to get more kerosene. Hence, kerosene hat.

The album itself is a mix of country-tinged rockers mixed with slower burners. There is not a bad song on the entire album, though pop fans might have a bit more difficulty getting to love songs such as "I Want Everything" and "Hi-Desert Biker Meth Lab." The latter not exactly being a hidden track, but one you will have to wait for.

Kerosene Hat was Cracker's second studio record. Their first featured the excellent "Teen Angst (What the World Needs Now)" but the band's self-titled debut album lacks the depth of quality that their second record does.