Before I listened to ska, I was a huge fan of punk- mostly bands that would be considered pop-punk. A lot of bands from Lookout Records. My first concert was Screechin Weasel. I loved bands like Squirtgun, The Queers, Mr T Experience, Pansy Division, and the Vandals. Now that I write music reviews, I hear a lot of other pop punk music, but no punk band has taken me back to that exact feeling I had in the 90s when I discovered a new punk band that made me immediately want to sing along like Caitlin Edwards. When this album was sent to me, I didn’t know it was going to be punk at all. I really didn’t have a lot of expectations one way or another. As soon as I put on the first track, I was immediately warped back. It feels like the perfect blend between SLC punk, a Kevin Smith soundtrack, and a Tony Hawk game, but with modern recording sensibilities. It’s fucking great.
Yeah, at times it’s a little juvenile. There is a song (Get Rid of that Girl) about kicking another girl’s ass because she’s dating the guy you have a crush on in high school. But it’s not to be taken seriously, and I like that it flies expectations on their head when it comes to gender norms- and one of the things about pop punk is that it’s always been juvenile. You can’t think of Blink 182 without thinking of them as sophomoric. This appeals to that juvenile youth in a way that resonates. The 50-year-old me wishes more than anything that this was the music I was listening to when I was 19. That scene didn’t have a lot of women artists.
“Nobody Cares” is such a damn good punk song with fun distortion, great guitar work, and really catchy lyrics about a guy who is obsessed with showing off his tattoos. “Guilty As Charged” is about being the last one single in your friend group- and having no remorse. Even as the song discusses failed relationships and moving on, it is a celebration of being independent.
My favorite track on the album is the title track and the single, and the perfectly timed theme for the Halloween season, “Candy Corn”. I feel like it’s the best all-around song, that balances great punk guitar riffs and fun rhythms, still has catchy, sing-along lyrics, and feels a little less sophomoric, about not being a people pleaser, not being the candy for everyone, but still being exactly right for some people, while calling out toxic people, and cutting them from your life.
This whole album definitely makes me want to explore a lot more pop-punk bands. I haven’t been this happy with a punk album since Wicked Bears album, but that satisfied a completely different punk itch. This was completely different and insanely good. This sparked a joy I didn’t remember existed.
Written by Gimp Leg
