I would’ve been perfectly happy if Whimsyland had remained a one-off project. Conceived by pop punk’s biggest theme park aficionado, Chadd Derkins, it answered a question nobody ever thought to ask: What would a pop punk record about a fictional amusement park sound like? (Answer: Awesome.)
But wouldn’t you know it, the park has expanded with a brand-new section—Bounty Bay—which naturally deserves its own EP. So, Derkins rounded up his friends, including familiar faces from the first Whimsyland LP (like Mikey Erg and Grath Madden) and some new ones, with the biggest surprise being Kid Dynamite/None More Black singer Jason Shevchuk on EP highlight Rough N Tumble Buccaneers—good luck resisting the urge to belt out the “Ahoy, Ahoy, Ahoy, Ahoy!” pirate gang vocals.
No matter who’s playing, Bounty Bay sounds like the best time ever. There’s the doo-wop pop punk romanticism of Pineapple Dream. There’s a song about a bird show, complete with actual bird call samples recorded by Derkins at theme parks around the world. There’s even an a cappella track—because why not? Somehow, Derkins & Co. make even the most cynical theme park haters line up for 60-second bursts of pure joy (minus the nausea, of course).
More than just a theme park concept, Whimsyland is a celebration of what pop punk can be—an escape that makes kids of all ages feel young again. So instead of running from a song called Blurpy the Bumpy Barge, embrace it. Jump up and down, spill your sugar-loaded drink, eat your candy. Worrying about the state of things can wait.
Order the EP now on 7″ from Bloated Kat Records (US), Stardumb Records (Europe), and Waterslide Records (Japan).
Add to wantlist: Bandcamp || Bloated Kat || Stardumb