"Fun Night" is the debut single from The Brickabrats out of Portland, Oregon — a foursome that reminds me of all the bands that made me fall in love with punk rock back in the '90s. The band likens itself to "Screeching Weasel making out behind a 7-Eleven with The Queers while Sloppy Seconds steals beer from the gas station next door," and I am here for that! Sometimes I want to hear pop-punk that has found a way to grow up a little. But other times, I just want pop-punk to be simple, stupid, and (above all else) pure fun. The Brickabrats aren't trying to be original or practice rocket science. They aren't hiding their influences. They want to write the catchiest possible songs and blast them with maximum enthusiasm. It's a simple approach that a million other bands have tried. But they pull it off so well that you wouldn't want it any other way.
"Fun Night" is about getting ready to party, but they're talking about the sort of party I would have actually gone to — where people chow down on junk food and listen to cool records. Getting into pop-punk in the '90s wasn't just about discovering music that seemed like it was made for me. It was about bonding with all the other misfits and weirdos who loved the same stuff. That spirit is baked into "Fun Night," a song that is literally all about anticipating good times and putting everything else to the side. You know there will be shenanigans, but there's an undeniable innocence at play as well.
"Fun Night" is the first taste of The Brickabats' debut EP THWACK! (as far as I'm concerned, there can never be enough onomatopoeia in record titles), which releases January 22nd. I have to respect that level of planning ahead when I haven't even figured out what I'm having for breakfast 40 minutes from now. If you're not a pop-punk person, "Fun Night" won't turn you to the dark side. But something tells me that The Brickabrats don't make music for people who dislike pop-punk. If you do like pop-punk, this is a band to watch!
No comments:
Post a Comment