Screaming Apple/Waterslide/Rum Bar/House of Rock Records, July 1, 2020
The Yum Yums do some of the best power pop around.
Norway’s The Yum Yums have been around for a while, playing deceptively simple guitar-based pop music that is so sugary that you won’t be able to sleep tonight. And on For Those About To Pop!, their fifth record, nothing changes.
“For Those About To Pop!” has all the pop goodness we’ve come to expect, buoyed by glorious harmonies, hooky melodies, and some of my favorite singalong choruses so far this year. A bunch of these songs are straight-up pop songs. “For Those About To Pop” has a super hooky descending lead guitar, a delicious chorus, and harmonies on top of harmonies all while singing about how great a three-chord pop song is. “Baby Baby” sports a fantastic melody and gorgeous harmonies open each verse, and it’s set to an upbeat kick that reminds me of “That Thing You Do”. And both the handclapped “Crush On You” and the underdog story “The Kind Of Girl” have synths that are alternately full of hooks and Rentals-reminiscent (“Crush”) and lush and Cars-like (“Girl”). Just lots of pop goodness.
The Yum Yums also do some callbacks to 70’s-era bubblegum glam. “Bubblegum Baby” works with a catchy T-Rex-style guitar riff and some cool organ while singing a melody that reminds of Herman’s Hermits “I’m Into Something Good”. Don’t ask, but it works. “First Move” almost sounds like the lovechild of Big Star and Fountains of Wayne (and it’s as good as that lets on). The backing vocals are spot on, the chorus has a hook loaded with swagger, and they even use cowbell without making me sick. And maybe my favorite of these, “Can’t Get Enough Of Your Lovin’”, stomps and romps like a classic Sweet song.
And to leave no stone unturned, For Those About To Pop! does a little bit of Ramones-aping. “Summertime Pop” has a little more buzz to it, and it’s set to a beat with a bit more pace. But it never loses sight of a great melody and the summertime feel to the backing vocals hits like sweet nostalgia. “Say You’ll Be Mine” follows suit, going faster and buzzing again. And the hooks coming from the lead vocal cadence and the 50’s-era backing vocals are to die for. Sure, neither have the ornery anger of the best Ramones stuff, but the influence is still clearly there.
On For Those About To Pop!, The Yum Yums just do their thing. They don’t care about your angst nor your fury. They just want to pop. And geez, they do that well.
You might like this if:
- You believe (or can be talked into thinking) that a “rock trinity” made up of Sweet, Ramones, and Herman’s Hermits is pretty much spot on
- You like classic boy-girl-type songs
You might not if:
- The idea of “pop” music makes you throw-up a little bit in your mouth and there is such thing as too much sugar
ryan is a reviewer and news editor for TGEFM. He’s very secretive, he might be an alien.
