Labels: Capitol
Review by: Mike Whelan
There are two kinds of bands that did well out of the retro-rock resurgence. Bands like The White Stripes, who are really kind of indie, and bands like The Hives,, who are really kind of punk. The Star Spangles fall into the second camp, but they might have released this album just one summer too late, after all, this sound is so last year.
Bazooka!!! is everything you might expect from a band who dress like The Ramones. Three-minute songs, played with just three chords and delivered in a scuzzy fashion by someone who can’t really sing, but who does it in such an admirably enthusiastic style that you can almost feel the enjoyment he gets from it.
It’s enjoyable enough, if you like this kind of thing. There’s certainly enough energy packed into every track on Bazooka!!! to fuel several Mineral back catalogues. Sadly though, The Star Spangles are proof that youthful exuberance and cool threads don’t make a good record, just a good NME cover.
There are a few gems though, from the punky ‘I Live For Speed’ to the anthemic ‘I Don’t Wanna Be Crazy Anymore’, both tracks manage to lift the album from mediocrity.
They may not be as pretentious as other bands from NY, and for that they deserve credit, but Bazooka!!! (by the way, the three exclamation marks all through this review are intentional) is still one best left to fans of the genre.