Zowie! "Fun, fun, fun!" Take sixties retro rock of such bands as The Wonderstuff, give it a bit more of a punk sensibility, and throw in a bit of a Smashing Pumpkins' vocal delivery and you've got a fair idea of what Pushstart Wagon is about.
The disc opens strong, moving from the power pop of "Open," to the pop vocal harmonies on the chorus of "I Will," to the infectious surfed-up punk-a-billy of "Weird." Alas, the rest of the record doesn't quite stand up to the first three tracks; but still, it's not as if the other songs are bad, just not as stellar as the first three. Harmony and melody take center stage from start to finish. Steve Guiles' voice is matched well to the music throughout, and the band is tight. These boys believe in writing good, catchy tunes, and they're good at it.
A surprising choice as producer is Andy Prickett of the Prayer Chain. The two bands have little in common. Grunge or modern mood rock this is not, but Prickett does an excellent job. The sounds ring out clear, and nobody is lost in the mix.
This is one band you'll be hearing more about. Trust me on this one. Be there first.
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