Is it possible that even the great J. Waylon had room to step up his game? His long-running solo project Friends of Cesar Romero has released some of the modern-day garage/punk/power pop scene's finest music over the last several years, and his Doomed Babe Series has become the stuff of legend. But with installment number 44 in the series, J. Waylon has done something I wasn't quite expecting: not just meet my expectations but rather exceed them. While the majority of FOCR's releases are EPs or singles, Spider Dreamer Sweet Tooth is a proper full-length album. And without question, I'd say it's the band's best release yet.
So much has been made (rightfully) of J. Waylon's knack for crafting top quality pop hooks and writing relatable, often brilliant lyrics about doomed romance. But with Spider Dreamer Sweet Tooth, I find myself struck by how much he has continued to grow as an artist and musician. This album incorporates a wide range of musical influences, yet it all sounds distinctively and emphatically like Friends of Cesar Romero. Kicking off with the infectious garage rock stomp of "October Eve," the album seamlessly swings from the textbook power pop of "My Motel Mermaid" to the classic SoCal punk stylings of "Quality Inn Cambodia" to the pristine psychedelic pop of "To Quell Your Starlite Mist" to the vintage FOCR charms of "Jennifer Ann" to the '60s pop glory of the title track. And that's just the first half of the album! The virtual B-side is just as hit-packed and stylistically varied. "Throwing Deadly Nightshade" is not just a great song title. It's the epitome of a garage rock banger that will have you dancing wildly in your bedroom. And I'm not sure if I can name another artist capable of going back-to-back with a '60s-style country rocker ("Gasoline on the Trampoline") and a 72-second blast of dawn-of-the-'80s hardcore punk ("Sundowner Uppercut") and legitimately pulling if off.
None of these songs are throwaways. This is 12 songs in 23 minutes, and not a single moment falls short. J. Waylon, who can write some of the best pop-punk tunes you could ever hope to hear, here proves that he's just as adept at pure punk and perfect pop. And when this album aims to rock, it really rocks. J. Waylon is not just a terrific songwriter and vocalist but also an accomplished multi-instrumentalist who has really learned how to make great-sounding solo recordings. If you've been ignoring my pleas to check out the best-kept secret in the punky pop/garage underground, this album would the perfect place to get on the train.
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