Being a fan of X, I was excited to listen to Bang Sugar Bang's Thwak Thwak Go Crazy after reading all the comparisons to X they've gotten. However, there is a big difference between being told you sound like X and actually sounding like X. Dueling punk rock male/female vocals doesn't mean a band should be compared to X.
That being said, Bang Sugar Bang reminds me nothing of X. Or any other band for that matter. And maybe they should get points for originality in that respect.
I can't say I enjoyed this album. In fact, I can honestly say that it's probably one of the least enjoyed albums I've listened to in recent years. This isn't to say that Bang Sugar Bang is no good. What belongs in the dog shit pile for me could be another person's flawless diamond.
In my world, front woman Cooper (vocals/bass) has one of the least captivating female voices I've heard, and to top it off, it's rather irritating to listen to and makes me reach for the skip button.
The one winning song on the entire album is called "The Machine Gun Song", written by Matt Southwell (guitar/vocals), inspired by an ex he calls "a complete psycho". The song basically has the best line of the whole album, "If I could be anything, I'd be a machine gun 'cuz overtime I see you I'm sorry I don't have one."
Thwak Thwak was produced by punk producer Geza X (Black Flag, Dead Kennedys, the Germs, Meredith Brooks) and engineered by punker Paul Roessler (the Screamers). This album is the band's second release. It opens with the loud and snotty "Punk Beat" with a fast-paced, uh, punk beat, and also contains some heavy panting thanks to front lady Cooper, who provides lead vocals for the song.
Most of the songs tend to sound alike, with nothing much in the way of creativity sound/lyric/style-wise. To borrow a line from Amazon reviewer named Clark Paull of Murder City, "Bang Sugar Bang have nothing to say and twelve different ways to say it."
Next!
Complete track listing:
Punk Beat
The Machine Gun Song
Kill The Radio
Major Label Interest
Tony
Alright
Where's The Fun In That?
Sex Beat
One For The Road
Sunday Night
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