OUTLOUD! Records / Radiant Radish Records, 27 November 2020
Ralphie’s Red Ryders pay pop punk tribute to “A Christmas Story”
Indiana pop punk band Ralphie’s Red Ryders have come out of nowhere (but really, it’s just the power pop punk band Vista Blue doing something new) with dreams of setting the lessons of “A Christmas Story” to music. Using a pretty basic power pop and pop punk template all wrapped up in sugary goodness, the band’s You’ll Shoot Your Eye Out! drops song after song of memorable hooks and nostalgic melodies drizzled over with buzzing guitars and some quick pace.
A bunch of the songs dig into buzzsaw guitars and blistering rhythms, trading in catchy punk territory. You’ll Shoot Your Eye Out! opener “My Decoder Ring” has a catchy as all-get-out melody and an excitable pace, and the backing vocals are some of my favorite on the record. Similarly, “I Don’t Want Your Tinker Toys” and “They Traded Bullfrog” tread the buzzing punk landscape while working in great pop hooks and references to the villainous Black Bart and fictional Sox baseball player “Bullfrog” (he who “gets traded” for “Four Eyes” Shottenhoffer). “I Can’t Put My Arms Down” has a great guitar hook, vocal earworms for days, and references to one of my favorite scenes from the film. Even the aggressive anti-bully song “Hey Scut, You Suck” sticks to my brain in its angsty repetition. When Ralphie’s Red Ryders punk things up, good stuff happens.
But You’ll Shoot Your Eye Out! also does well to slow things down a bit, allowing some hooks to sink their teeth in deep. Whether it’s the jangly power pop and gorgeous hooks of “I’m Gonna Get an A+ on My Theme” or the great organ and 3-layered backing vocals of “I Wanna Go To Higbee’s Tonight” or the fantastically spot-on lead guitar and melodies of “I Won’t Shoot My Eye Out”, song after song takes up a little space in my brain with pop nuggets that beg to be heard repeatedly. Even “I Got a Zeppelin”, with its super silly “whoopee” intro to each line, digs in deep and won’t let go. Ralphie’s Red Ryders do the punk thing well, but they can positively destroy when they decide to pop things up, too.
Ralphie’s Red Ryders are the real deal. Whether they’re popping up buzzing punk songs or tossing a little angst onto some great pop numbers, You’ll Shoot Your Eye Out! hits all the marks and will give you a fun little something to throw on during the holidays.
Favorite song: “I Won’t Shoot My Eye Out”
Favorite moment: the 3-layered backing vocals on “I Wanna Go To Higbee’s Tonight” sound fantastic
Favorite whatever else: the “WTAM Higbee’s Promo” radio spot does well to set the tone and really deliver on the theme
ryan is a reviewer and news editor for TGEFM. He’s very secretive, he might be an alien.
