Psychotic Youth - Some Fun

These Swedish cats don't fool around when they construct their iconic pop tunes - right from the start on "Here We Go (Oh Yeah)" there's tons of guitars, a rockin' solo, a fake ending, "Twist and Shout" rising harmonies, key changes and an impossibly catchy chorus! Wow! The title track is a perfect mix of the Beach Boys and the Ramones for a summer classic followed by the antithesis, "Good Times Are Gone" and then a Stooges/DMZ hard rock number "Fun Gun Treatment" that still adds a super-melodic Ramones bridge! They just can't help but be memorable!

I know that punk-pop is now a dirty word, but back when PY were doing it (the late 80's), this blend of fast punk rock with impossibly melodic tunes was a rarity and to do it this well was almost unheard of. The high-speed "Won't See Me Crying", the cool keys added to "More Fun", the metal-ish "I Want it Now" (reminds of the later "You Had It Coming" from Manitoba's Wild Kingdom), the 60's on amphetamines of "Can't Close My Eyes", the love/lust song "Julie", more Stooges-isms in "Another Stupid Jerk" and showed how versatile they were in songwriting and performing while maintaining a pop sensibility.

The do a convincing country how-down in "Cindy I" before turning it into a full-speed punk raver in "Cindy II". "Go For It Baby" does a ridiculous amount in a mere two minutes before the Ramones-y "Then I Killed Her". It all closes down with the lead-licious heaviness of "It's Alright (In the USA)".

More fantastic pop mania with a rockin' beat from these Swedes. Haven't heard anything bad from PY - wonder what they're up to nowadays?