Rating:
Genre:
Rock
Release Date: 06/06/2006
One of those rare all-covers projects that actually works,
the Methadones'
21st Century Power Pop Riot might well actually be the band's best album so far. That's no disrespect to leader
Dan Schafer's earlier work, which has been uniformly fine
pop-punk, but this set is the first album
Schafer has been involved with since his glory days as
Ben Weasel's right-hand man in
Screeching Weasel (under the name
Danny Vapid) that's been this much unabashed fun. It helps immensely that the song selection is spot-on throughout, highlighting forgotten gems and lesser-known cult classics instead of the usual suspects: when
the Records'
"Starry Eyes" and
Scandal's
"Goodbye to You" (featuring a kicky lead vocal by
Annie Soviette of
the Soviettes) are among the most instantly familiar tunes on the album, it's clear that true
power pop fans were behind this record. Versions of
Elvis Costello's
"Welcome to the Working Week" and, even better, the 1979
Costello soundalike
"Back of My Hand" by the
Jags are instant highlights, with a
rockabilly-tinged workout on
Nick Lowe's
"Heart of the City" and a dead-on resurrection of
the Pointed Sticks'
"Out of Luck" close behind.
~Stewart Mason, All Music Guide
;)
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