Ninety Pound Wuss

(Tooth & Nail)
by Scott Hefflon

“When we started out, we didn’t try to be punk. We just couldn’t help it because we’re all hyperactive kids.”

Their self-titled debut begins with a conversation, not the hit single. Refreshing. Truthfully, I doubt Ninety Pound Wuss realized they were breaking that rule of thumb, they probably just thought it was kinda cool. The story is told of using a restroom in Shelton, Nebraska (perhaps the same middle of nowhere crossroads as in On The Road?), where some guys in a big truck pull up and warn, “You boys are in Shelton, so beware.” And there begins the frantic, screaming punk that doesn’t let up for a moment. Geekcore through and through. I’m glad singer Jeff Suffering took to music instead of sharp-shooting, if you know what I’m saying.

Combining dirty guitar sound and dirty, throaty vocals similar to Chad Price of All, NPW sounds like “I Don’t Wanna Hear It” and “Reaganomics (Killing Me),” song after over-caffeinated song. Really, I worry about these darn kids today. It takes practice to learn to sing this damn fast, and Jeff seems like one of those about-to-snap misfits who rocks back and forth screaming lyrics for hours on end. Steer clear of water towers in his home town, Port Angeles, WA.