On their new album Entertainment System, Lesser Creatures continue to be an exception to the rule that I'm totally over "snotty" pop-punk. Nick Spoon and his new bandmates Tyler Adams and Lilly Koloski take me back to the mid-'90s when DIY pop-punk was exploding and you had all these bands who obviously loved Screeching Weasel but were still really rad because they were young, scrappy, and enthusiastic. It was a super-fun time to be into music, and I fondly recall combing the pages of fanzines in search of new pop-punk bands to check out. Thirty years later, Lesser Creatures recapture the spirit of that scene. On Entertainment System, Lesser Creatures totally lean into their '90s pop-punk influences. They're not trying to break new ground, and they're not going to try and change your mind if this type of music isn't your thing. But if want to hear tried-and-true pop-punk that's catchy as heck and played with tremendous enthusiasm, this is the album for you. Nick Spoon may sound like you took Ben Weasel, Joey Vindictive, and B.A. from Sloppy Seconds and tossed them in a blender, yet his approach doesn't come as affected or overly labored. I think that's just what he sounds like, and I have to admit I kind of love his vocals! As a songwriter, he adds his own clever, creative, and often humorous lyrical flair to this familiar musical style, and what results are songs that are genuinely fun to listen to. With this version of Lesser Creatures, we have three true believers in pop-punk. And we need true believers in music just as much as we need innovators. If you ever played your cassette copy of My Brain Hurts daily for months or lived for the moment when that Mutant Pop Records envelope showed up in your mailbox, Entertainment System will be music to your ears.
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