Review: Lettermans – “It’s Not Me, It’s You”

Punk Head Records, 6 November 2020

Lettermans pay loving homage to Ramones and have some pretty catchy songs to show for it.

Philadelphia’s Lettermans fall in line with lots of other pop punk bands that connect with Ramones.  Riffs are pretty straightforward and simple, guitars buzz, even the panning on the recording reminds me a little of Ramones.  And after several EP’s, the Lettermans first full length, It’s Not Me, It’s You, has a bunch of catchy songs set off by some of the more unique lead guitar I’ve heard on an otherwise traditional pop punk record.

It’s Not Me does a bunch of stuff well, with some catchy hooks and pop that stay mostly tempered with some buzzing guitars and a bit of angst.  “How Could She” and “To Be A Gentleman” both have some decent pop tricks up their sleeves.  “How Could She” has some catchy lead guitar that sounds distinct from most pop punk leads.  It also has some nice keys and makes references to Riverdales and Groovie Ghoulies.  “To Be A Gentleman” pulls some similar stunts and pans the sounds, reminding me a little of the production on Ramones.  And the leadoff song, “Lady of the Night”, pounds and kicks with a catchy vocal hook and some backing gang vocals.  Other songs call back to early rock and roll.  “It’s Not Me It’s You” is pretty melodic mid-tempo pop punk with some chiming lead guitar and backing vocals that are kind of great.  It sort of reminds me of something that would get played on a “Happy Days” jukebox, except at a quicker pace.  And “Surf’s Up” has some great Beach Boys-inspired backing vocals that do the “ooh, wah-wah, wah-ooh” thing oh so well.  Plus, the chorus really sticks.  Beyond the lead guitars that sound decidedly non-punk, the music is just good, catchy pop punk.

All that said, there are a couple times where Lettermans get a little too schmaltzy and sentimental for my brain.  “Make You Mine” has some nice buzzsaw guitars playing some Ramones riffs, but the lyrics throw me off.  Lines like “will you be the peanut butter to my jelly, will you be bananas to my cereal” just don’t land for me.  “I Will Never” kind of does the same thing.  I like the sort of surfy tom rolls and lead guitar, but there’s some more schmaltz to the lyrics.  It’s a personal taste thing, just not mine.

Lettermans It’s Not Me, It’s You is a pretty fun record.  It is a pretty straightforward Ramones-influenced pop punk record, but it also throws in a few flashes that set it off a bit, including some different lead guitar and some nice organ.  It’s pretty standard practice, but the songs are good and worth a listen.

Favorite song: “It’s Not Me It’s You”

Favorite moment: the unpunk lead guitars that dot songs like “Lady of the Night” and “How Could She”

Favorite whatever else: the Beach Boys-esque backing vocals on “Surf’s Up”