aaamusic | On 23, Jul 2014

The new album from renowned punk rockers The Muffs bursts forth with opening track ‘Weird Boy Next Door’, showcasing a great energy from the offset. Simply and succinctly named Whoop Dee Doo, the album is the first the band has released in a decade, and it is clear they haven’t lost their punk stamina and spirit present in the early ‘90s. In fact, they sound as youthful as they did 23 years ago.

Kim Shattuck (previously of The Pandoras and, a short time, the Pixies) is somewhat of a veteran of the punk revival from the mid ‘80s onwards and sounds as fierce and zealous as ever; note the impressive guttural growls and screams. The uncomplicated punk blasts and weaving female vocals is set to be a certain crowd pleaser in terms of a live performance from The Muffs, with moments of Nirvana ‘thrashy-ness’ and a ‘do what you want’ attitude of Hole; all topped off with pop-esque melodies throughout.

There is a slight ‘50s ‘doo wop’ and ‘60s R&B/ pop vibe throughout the album, which is covered in a punk coarseness and attitude naturally; ultimately giving Whoop Dee Doo an inherent catchiness. It sort of reminds me of the way The Jesus and Mary Chain used Ronette’s-style ‘60s  beats and melodies, but added a distorted, rock edge over the top to make it their own. ‘Forget The Day’ is a good example of this catchy, carefree, retro style and ‘I Get it’ shows almost Beatles-esque, catchy melody-making.

Whoop Dee Doo is a nice collection of pop-tinged punk tunes to bop and nod your head along to – nothing complex or fancy, but a commendable vigour for a band that has been going  nearly a quarter of a century.

★★★★★

Check our interview with The Muff’s singer-guitarist Kim Shattuck here…

Liam Dodd