Hold on to your hats, pop fans. Norway’s The Yum Yums bring an infectious energy to the newest release “…Whatever Rhymes With Baby.” Lead singer Morten Henriksen pulls out all the stops on the opener ” I Wanna Be The One” it jams like The Who with the punk atheistic of Green Day. The following track “Too Good To Be True” is equally flawless punk pop. The songs are lead by buzzsaw guitars and a manic beat. Fans of the Ramones will flip for “If I Ever See You Again” and “Anytime At All.” The Big Star meets Weezer vibe is all over “Rock And Roll Tonight” includes direct references to The Ramones and its got a catchy sweeping melody and solid guitar breaks. It’s my favorite track here among many gems. The band tends to coast a bit on the DIY flavored “Killing Time” and “Sugar Rush” with even speedier beats. But the gems keep comin‘ with “Imaginary Girl” a pop song with a Beach Boys like backing harmonies in the chorus. Fans of Splitsville and Cheap Trick will also love this album. It would have been nice to get at least one mid-tempo song or ballad here, but if that’s not your thing you won’t miss it – just crank up the volume. Add a few live tracks and in case you forgot, the band includes back up vocals from Vibeke too. So far the best punk pop album I’ve heard this year.
My Space | CD Baby | Pop Detective Records
This is a fantastic album. Infectious energy is a perfect way to describe this delicious pop/punk album.