Written as a song cycle about a toxic relationship, 1993’s Gentlemen cuts to the bone, thanks to such tautly crafted songs as “Debonair,” one of the most biting indictments of romance ever pressed on wax. Singer, songwriter, and guitarist Greg Dulli laments on the title track that he’s “all messed up,” but he’s clearly rolling with the punches. “Crazy” amplifies the confusion of a romantic entanglement and could be the best song the Eels never recorded. Marcy Mays of the band Scrawl lends a vulnerable, feminine perspective on the power ballad “My Curse.” All this youthful angst holds up 30 years later; after all, who hasn’t felt remorse over a failed relationship? Gentlemen—remastered and pressed on canary-yellow vinyl as part of Atlantic Record’s 75^th anniversary series—triumphs on the strength of Dulli’s cinematic songwriting (the mesmerizing “Algiers”) and the band’s mastery of rock, soul and funk (shout out to drummer Steve Earle). It’s been said the Afghan Whigs were one of the few 90s alt-rock bands to flourish after being signed to a major label—Gentlemen was their fourth studio album, an MTV sensation, and their high-water mark. The band released two more albums before disbanding in 1998, only to reemerge in 2014.