Punk-rock veterans Shonen Knife recently released their fourteenth album Super Group and I’m enjoying it quite a bit.
Given that Shonen Knife have been making music for twenty-seven years, it’s impressive that they’ve maintained such a youthful sound. They’ve remained true to their sound over their career, making simple Ramones and 60’s girl group inspired punk rock. Don’t expect anything wildly different on their new album Super Group, but do expect a lot of fun.
That’s not to say that every song is the same, Shonen Knife have been around long enough to pick up a few tricks. ‘Time Warp’ switches from a retro pop melody to a heavy metal bridge, ‘Deer Biscuits’ is a country song and ‘Evil Birds’ sounds like a 60’s pop song complete with harmonies and wild stereo panning.
Super Group’s lyrics are all in English, and are all completely silly. The chorus of ‘BBQ Party’ is a lyrical highlight: “Pig out! Pig out! Pig out! / Don’t worry about your diet”and gives a good impression of the mood of Shonen Knife’s lyrics. Most of the lyrics are silly takes on mundane topics, as in ‘Deer Biscuits’: “Deer biscuits / Smells like soy bean flour.” Lyrics like that are why most people either love or hate Shonen Knife – you can put me firmly in the “love it” club.
While I was a teenager I spent hours making mixtapes of Weezer, Green Day, That Dog and other alternative bands. While I didn’t get into Shonen Knife until later, they’d have been a welcome addition to my cassette collection. As it is, they’re currently occupying a lot of listening time on my iPod, and making me feel like I’m fifteen again (minus all the teen angst… oh the angst). Shonen Knife were innovators during their early career and while they’re no longer breaking new ground, their music is still as relevant as ever. Silly lyrics, stripped down rock melodies and a potent sense of fun make Super Group a great album.
Super Group is put out by New York label Good Charamel Records and can be bought directly from them or from iTunes etc.
Shonen Knife Website | MySpace
Audio:
Super Group: | Download MP3
Video:
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