Pool Party
Teenage Weirdo
(Mooster Records)
moosterrecords.tk
Well, summer is upon us yet again, and the unrelenting heat can be quelled only with a nervous mixture of pool partying necessities like booze, drugs, pools, sun, floaties, and rock 'n' roll. But of course, it would take those happening cats over at Chicago's Mooster Records to bring us the goods via the most heat-resistant vehicle of clear colored wax cut for seven-inch pleasures.
That's right! Fire up the grill, dump muriatic acid in the pool and call your friends over, because Pool Party's Teenage Weirdo four-song EP is finally here to help us get through the merciless and sweltering heat of another South Florida summer. Afraid of mosquitoes? This disc repels them. Think the gator's gonna get that little sliver of flesh on your ankle? Pool Party serves delicious tail-meat appetizers while your burger grills.
Destined to be a classic within their already impressive catalog, this four-song scorcher has two new tracks, a cover of a local favorite, and a retooling of an older tune.
Opening with the title track, Pool Party firmly establishes its style. Even through the good-time shenanigans surrounding its past and the SPF 1000 party it brings with it wherever it goes, its craft is clearly planted in the Ramones school of thought. The band does this while maintaining a defiance of Ramones-influenced bands à la Screeching Weasel and/or The Queers. Largely devoid of the disco-oriented tinkerings of past releases, this EP certainly has its subtle touches. "Teenage Weirdo" isn't entirely as creepy as it should be, and I believe in part that is due to the thin underlying whisper of bells, whistles, and digital strings.
This is followed by a rip-roaring cover of the The Crumbs' "Whatta they Know" handled at a far more furious pace than the original but savvy enough to incorporate Raf Classic on the choruses. For those of us who grew up going to Crumbs shows, this role reversal is pretty special, those guys are always a treat on stage and here's Raf, singing along to the sing-along you sang with him when you thought it appropriate to sing along with him. Pheeew!
I'd like to point out that "Whatta they Know" originally appeared on the Far Out/Stiff Pole Records split seven-inch, Welcome to Florida, Now Get the Fuck Out, ...Asshole which was also available on clear blue wax and featured tracks by the almighty Pink Lincolns, the Gotohells, and Against All Authority.
Pool Party - "Evil Tonite"
The B-side features a retooled version of their crowd-pleasing "Like a Warrior" and the urging to compete and perform at the "warrior" level is not diminished one bit. This is where my colleagues would like to point out the heavy Slade influence, but I also see a nice marriage of street punk and southern hard rock.
The EP closes with their most evil song to date, the eerie and atmospheric and entirely saccharine pop punk bliss of "Evil Tonite." If I can give you a little lyrical taste, please indulge: "...walk into church and pull out my dong... take a piss right on the manger... and have sex with a fucking nun." Cute!
If you're a "happening" cat, you'd be right to preorder the EP before it drops on the third of July because the first 40 orders will receive the "Pool Party Party Pak" which includes (but is not limited to) buttons, a Pool Party cosy, and a Pool Party lighter. All choice accouterments for a solid jamboree! Whet your appetite by streaming it here.
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