Continuing my look at the albums of 1976…

1976 was a big year for debut albums, and I’ll feature five of them to kick off this look at that year in music.

Debuts are interesting because some reveal a great artist emerging fully formed out of the gate, while others are rougher but contain seeds of the greatness to come. This week will include a bit of both.

Blondie’s self-titled debut is a bit of both all in one album. It’s uneven and a little sloppy, but it introduces the band’s fizzy mix of 60s girl pop, punk, and New Wave, and presents the undeniable charisma of lead singer Debbie Harry.

None of these songs are instantly recognizable to casual fans. Singles ‘X Offender,’ ‘In the Flesh,’ and ‘Rip Her to Shreds’ were all new to me. While they lack big hooks, they make up for it with energetic musicianship and grabby vocals. Harry is such an undeniable presence right out of the gate.

Blondie was hard to pin down, genre-wise, especially as they ventured into disco and early hip hop, and that’s clear even on this debut. The album starts out as 60s pop pastiche but ventures into punk around the halfway point. By the time the final track, ‘The Attack of the Giant Ants,’ arrives, they’re offering up a gonzo sonic landscape of the event.

I’m not familiar with Blondie’s catalog outside of the major hits, so this was a neat discovery. I’ll add them to the list of artists I want to explore further.