Crunchy

Item: All Day Sucker
Author: Doug Van Pelt

All Day Sucker

(2001)

Reviewed by Doug Van Pelt

Discogs YouTube

Label SAR RecordsHM Magazine #90July/August 2001

alternative metal hard rock power pop

Let's have a moment of silence for the passing of the Galactic Cowboys . . . Okay, let's get on with the new album by Crunchy — All Day Sucker. I can see guitarist (!) Monty Colvin now — smiling with his arms crossed: "I told you so!" You see, he told us to expect a real catchy sound akin to Foo Fighters and Cheap Trick. Boy, was he right! And his vocals are more than up for the task. This is my favorite album released thus far this year. It's really that good.

Fans of Galactic Cowboys will soon learn that this isn't full of metallic low-end bomb blasts, but they'll hear enough familiar sounds that it won't sound completely foreign. There's still plenty of harmonies / voices used like an instrument, sampled intros, and Machine Fish-like chord progressions. I can't get the hooky title track outta my head. "She's a Freak" and "Sorority Girl" (featuring the line "You always hated R.E.M.") are both witty lyrically and quirky musically. "Baby Zit" is another hilarious (fast) one that gets you smiling and laughing. Monty knows how to take a super melodic hook, like the song "2 Hearts," and go over the top with it, and somehow manage to not make the mistake of losing the rock aesthetic. It's like a giant wad of cotton candy that even the oldest, most diet-conscious adult can't resist.

Even a softer, melodic tune like "Rabbit" is quite memorable. I've always liked Monty's voice, and this slightly new context keeps him front and center through the whole album. I can't find a song I don't like. If you see me on the road this summer, odds are I'm listening to this album.