From the moment I first heard Karaoke Booth, I became a fan of Pleasants, the new solo endeavour of Al Uminium (aka Alex “Human Fly” Patching of Aborted Tortoises, Ghoulies, and Dennis Cometti). I know it’s still early, but I’ve already penned it down as this year’s most blatantly fun punk tune. Ever since, I’ve been eagerly been awaiting the debut LP, and now that it has arrived – courtesy of Under The gun Records, it exceeds all expectations.
Rocanrol In Mono delivers 21 minutes of pure, unadulterated punk energy, with songs stripped down to their core for maximum enjoyment. Al Uminium’s knack for crafting catchy pop melodies shines brightly, elevating the already hyperactive lo-fi tunes to incite pogo mayhem in any bar, barn, basement or bedroom. While the record comes at you at full force, leaving you almost breathless you with its bluntness, Uminium sprinkles his songs with sufficient twists to escape monotony. There are hints of Jay Reatardesque garagepunk, and the guitar playing in several songs shares more than a little dna with Johnny Ramone. Meanwhile, the occasional synth interjections add a quirky “egg punk” flavor to the mix. Surely, fans of Uminium’s other bands but also contemporaties like Teevee Repairmann will undoubtedly find much to love here.
Going back to that Karaoke Booth tune? Turns out it wasn’t a fluke but rather indicative of the consistently high caliber of Rocanrol In Mono. HITS!!!!
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