Published on Sep 9, 2019
Well, here we are with only the second Redd Kross record of the 21st century. With Dale Crover joining the band on drums, the bottom end is heightened significantly.
On the album’s opening pop burst of “The Party,” one can easily know that everything that you’ve loved about Redd Kross hasn’t changed in the slightest. One of the most upbeat tracks of the year, it gets you really psyched for a band that should have released more material up to this point.
The title track is quite pleasing to the ears and proves that the band is still capable of writing great material. The slow burning “Ice Cream” spikes things up a bit with some really great guitar work. The musicianship in this band, no matter who’s in it, has always been top notch, and the fact that it continues here shows how musically-oriented Redd Kross has been.
“Fantastico Roberto” is quite the rocker and keeps the energy up, which is a great thing to hear for a band that got started during the L.A. hardcore wave of the early ‘80s. Though they moved away from that sound successfully, you can still hear echoes and traces of it in songs like “The Party Underground.” The album’s defining moment comes with its closer: a cover of 1994 Sparks chestnut “When Do I Get to Sing ‘My Way?’” This one is testament to two great bands led by brothers who’ve danced to their own drum for their entire careers. It’s a great cover and a great way to wrap up this brief, 33-minute disc.
While there are a few tracks here that really perk up the ears and stand on their own, this isn’t the ‘oh my God, the best thing I’ve heard all year’ type of disc; still, it is one that any real rock fan will find enjoyable.