Teen Idols
Pucker Up! (Honest Don’s)
by Scott Hefflon
Teen Idols‘ self-titled debut made my top ten list a couple years back, and it’s still in heavy rotation in my CD player. That’s quite a feat for a guy who listens to hundreds of CDs each month. Pucker Up! picks up where the self-titled left off, and it’s only a matter of time ’til I have this one memorized as well. Clever turns of phrase, comfortable yet not run-of-the-mill guitar riffs (there’s a fine line here, and Teen Idols stay on the side of “Hey, that’s a good simple riff that I haven’t heard a trillion times”), and melodies that take the simple rhythms into new areas, thus making each song singular and enjoyable. Similar in a way to Riverdales – simple, chugging Ramonesesque guitar work that, no matter how many times you hear it, or something similar, it’s the strong vocal melody on top that makes almost identical songs sound as if the three chords were written specifically for this song – Teen Idols layer male/female harmonies in a way that’s unlike the glut of “whoa-whoa” punkpop. Evidently, it’s the Nashville bluegrass/rockabilly influence that makes the harmonies distinct, but when it’s used in the context of rampaging NOFXian speed punk, it’s not like you’ll get Teen Idols confused with Garth Brooks any time soon.
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