Bowling for Soup

Let’s Do it for Johnny! (Silvertone/Jive)
by Scott Hefflon

Impressions (not necessarily in order): dumb fuckin’ band name, over-used and out-dated album name (from The Outsiders, for you young ‘uns – at least they didn’t call it Stay Golden), damn is that guy BIG! OK, so it’s shallow and un-PC (yeah, whatever), but the guy’s, like, bigger than Cartman. But he’s happy, and that’s cool. Furthermore, the band is happy. Evidently, that was the impulse for Wichita Falls, Texas vocalist Jaret Von Erich to quit death metal and get into upbeat punky pop. And it’s a good thing, cuz while it’d be hard to describe Bowling for Soup without it sounding like everything else (perky, punky, positive, melodic, hooky, harmony-rich, well-produced), these guys are better than scores of new young bands you’ve never heard of. With 13 songs in 45 minutes and yet another cover of Bryan Adam’s “Summer of ’69,” this one’s a pretty good bet for strong-vocalled pop punk.
www.getmusic.com/peeps/jiverecords