Laptop Punk – 29 OCT 2022
While POP doesn’t add anything new to the genre, it does what it sets out to do: create really fun Ramones-core punk.
Dumbskull is the solo project of TGEFM’s very own reviewer and news editor Ryan. The new album, POP, is a collection of nine gloriously fun Ramones-core tracks to brighten up these cold winter months. It’s basically everything you would want out of some simple, Ramones-style pop-punk, complete with the lo-fi production and snotty vocals. Recorded entirely in a basement and released on Laptop Punk Records, it’s a true passion project that shows a real love for pop-punk.
Opening track “Narcolepsy” has a perfect early-era Ramones riff as the lyrics celebrate laziness in a particularly slovenly punk rock fashion. The keyboards at the end of the track are an especially nice touch. Then “Death American Style” is a morbid love anthem with lyrics that nicely contrast the upbeat music. I really enjoy the short burst of snot-nosed energy that is “Judy Got a Television,” and I can’t help but assume that the name Judy was chosen in honor of “Judy is a Punk.” “I Don’t Wanna Get Over It” is another super-short track that’s particularly bratty, and it’ll trick you every time with its false ending.
“Mission Terraform” is an awesome name for a song, first of all, and the song lives up to the great name. The lyrics to the song have a particularly vivid poetry to them that really paint a bizarre but beautiful picture. I especially appreciate the nod to “Rockaway Beach” towards the end. “Oh Donna” is steeped in morbid humor with a hell of a pop-hook in the chorus. “Snuffed” really lets the rhythm section shine through with some really fun bass and beats. Then the penultimate track, “All Day,” seems to describe a particularly dysfunctional relationship, but without getting too serious about it. Finally “Sugar, Sugar” has one of the best hooks in the whole album, as the backing vocals really add something to the track to make it even more infectious that the rest of the album.
POP isn’t an album that’s going to change the world, or even the genre, but it’s a very good example of quality pop-punk. Clocking in at just over 15 minutes, it’s a short and sweet album that is impossible not to enjoy. Far from revolutionizing the genre, it takes all of its influences and turns them into something that I think even The Ramones would be proud to have had a hand in. It’s a great reminder of what pop-punk can be, and most importantly, it’s just a lot of fun.
Julie is punk rock, lesbian time lady from the future. The greatest things in the world are punk rock and science fiction. Check out her website JulieRiver.com!
