The Fallout (TVT, 2001)
Whipping through 11 tracks at a mere 40 minutes, Default's debut doesn't carry an ounce of fat. Guitarist Jeremy Hora focuses on riff dynamics while Dallas Smith's voice grabs onto your ears for dear life. There's nothing complicated about the breathless salvos of "Sick & Tired" and "Slow Me Down," but the peppy "By Your Side" suggests even more held in reserve.