by Michael Bennett
Daily Lobo
It is said good music goes through three stages, following a pattern of prototype, archetype and stereotype.
Bang Sugar Bang's release Thwak Thwak Go Crazy! undoubtedly falls into the stereotype category. It is a sad matter when a band attempts to break conventions and instead languishes in them.
The revolutionary music form that appeared in the late '70s was given the name punk because people could not classify it. Few bands declared themselves punks, and some even resented the title.
Get content from The Daily Lobo delivered to your inbox
Today it has become a genre with predestined routes, and everyone is eager to flaunt their "punkiness."
Bang Sugar Bang is by no means the most unoriginal band and has some excellent songs at its disposal. The band has undeniable talent but has not yet found its true voice.
The band's use of male and female harmonies at times conjures memories of the Pixies, exemplified in the surfed-up "One for the Road."
"Tony" possesses a high-pitched screwball riff akin to Queens of the Stone Age and is coupled with a bassline reminiscent of early Nirvana.
Thwak Thwak Go Crazy! is purporting to be symbolic of great times, but with the odd exception, it is a frenzied display of wishy-washiness.
The third song on the album, "Kill the Radio," illustrates the female bassist's great voice. The song is a standout, combining a fast punk riff with her haunting and uplifting Blondiesque vocals gliding over the top. It's a successful track where the band gets the blend of pop and punk just right.
The band professes to be influenced by late '70s British punk bands such as the Buzzcocks. This is demonstrated in songs such as "Sunday Night," which could almost be mistaken for a Buzzcocks cover.
However, band members fail to improve or add any notable flair to the style and are light-years behind their so-called Britpack contemporaries who have taken various influences from the canon of classic alternative music and reinvented whole genres.
In their quest for a catchy chorus, they resort to too many easy options. "The Machine Gun Song" has depths of potential but is tainted by lyrical content constituting of a wealth of "yeh yeh yehs," mixing in some "bang bangs" and "blah blah blahs" for good measure.
Repetition can be used to great effect if it is done succinctly, but Bang Sugar Bang employs it far to frequently. This may explain why the band has aroused interest in Japan, where meaningless yet entertaining punk-fuelled pop enjoys widespread appreciation.
Bang Sugar Bang is apt at pumping out wallpaper punk tunes - nothing too offensive and good enough for a group of 17-year-olds to vigorously bob their heads to in their SUV on their way to Mexico for spring break.
Thwak Thwak Go Crazy! is incredibly listenable and accessible but not very innovative. If you don't seek depth in your music and want something that'll be widely received at a party, then you're in luck.
