A powerful but very pop sound on Side A, one that should prove palatable to both punk and commercial audiences. The flip is a novelty number, a country-ish tune with vocals that sound like SLIM PICKENS on STP.
This is a bit different than previous records in that there’s only a couple of songs with their distinctive bass licks and chunky melodies. So instead of bordering on redundancy, they prove their diversity by being more melodic, rockin’, and even pop. This LP is more challenging than before and really great.
This band consistently defies categories. More than hardcore. More than rock. More than experimental. And this LP blazes out with a fury that’s sharp, clean, and loud as fuck. The sound on this release is more concise and focused than earlier stuff but doesn’t sacrifice any of their drive. Possibly one of America’s most important bands.
Another winner from NAKED RAYGUN. The three compositions on this EP mine poppier song structures, but don’t sacrifice a whit of abrasiveness when the situation calls for it. “Surf Combat”, with its inventive changes of pace, rates as the most notable song here, but the aggressive energy of “Gear” is also quite appealing. A highly original release.
The long-awaited NAKED RAYGUN EP has finally been released, and musically it’s a beauty. The songwriting is extremely imaginative, the vocals are unbelievably catchy, and the unique fuzzed-out guitar work sounds wonderful. The only problems here are one klunky track (“Swingo”) and some suspect lyrics in “Tojo.”
