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The Barreracudas - Can Do Easy (Oops Baby)
by Dave Feldman
The Barreracudas have finally returned with their brand-new
full-length release, Can Do Easy (Oops Baby Records,
2015). The LP cover features the five members going to battle
in a world of post-apocalyptic rubble, clutching their instruments
like weapons of warfare. It seems fitting since this could
be the album to take the band over the hill and out of their
cult-like status of underground rock.
For those who don’t know, The Barreracuda’s (or
‘Cudas for short) are the biggest smart aleck’s
in rock ‘n’ roll. It takes a certain kind of brashness
to call one’s debut album Nocturnal Missions
(Douchemaster Records, 2011), which featured songs about foot
sex. In the last four years the band performed fewer than
most groups do in a single tour and had released a mere two
singles. What they may lack in quantitative musical output,
they more than make up for in quality releases more likely
to wear down your record needle before you get tired of hearing
them.
Like an arcade Whack-A-Mole game, the Atlanta-based 5-piece
pop up only now and again to remind you of their presence.
And that presence is huge. As front man and band namesake
Adrian Barrera boasts, “I can’t promise that you’ll
love me, but you probably will.”
And he’s right.
Can Do Easy begins as a fly on the wall at a house
party (listen closely to hear fellow famed ATL-iens Chase
Tail and Tuk Smith!) before ripping into the album opener
“The Jerk,” which sounds like a more playful version
of Blitz’ “New Age.” Up next is a revamped
and revved-up return of “Promises.” The faster
tempo is an absolute improvement on the single version released
late last year.
“Backup Plan” is one of the album’s most
lyrically sincere tracks and will be stuck in your head all
day from the brief Thin Lizzy-esque guitar-monies between
Warren Bailey and Milton Chapman. Best yet is the chanting
outro, “You better call somebody else!” which
gives the listener that The Barreracudas are not just a band:
they’re a gang that’s more TUFF than raw steak.
“Stoned on Love” and “Shampoo” reinstate
Barrera’s mastery at making an absurd concept into pop
perfection. The former track is a beyond-clever song about
getting wasted off the fairer sex where metaphors become reality.
The latter track is about getting close to a girl to smell
like her shampoo, as Barrera rifles off ingredients from rosemary
to wild cherry. It’s an extremely difficult maneuver
to make rock ‘n’ roll humorous, but The Barreracudas,
simply put, are fucking funny. Still, a listener will never
lose grip that this is rock ‘n’ roll. Both Tom
Petty and Bill Murray would be proud.
Thematically, “Playliens” is reminiscent of the
Misfits’ “Children in Heat” or “Teenagers
From Mars.” The ultra-tight breakdown between bassist
George Reese and drummer Todd Galpin before Barrera screams
“Go!” also brings to mind Lodi’s own, but
it’s hard and it’s fun. It also shows the band’s
wider influence of the rock genre before the concluding cameo
by none other than Drew “Personal” Cramer of Personal
& The Pizzas.
Side B begins with a most triumphant guitar call to battle
with “Make My Own Rules.” Paired with “Nasty
Boots,” it’s the sassiest song on the album, and
these two tracks show their Heartbreakers (Thunders) side
versus their Heartbreakers (Petty) side. “Nasty Boots”
isn’t too different from the single version released
on Windian in 2012, but hey, if the nasty tape is still sticky,
why tear it apart?
“Long Explanation” is a track you can really drive
your car to, and that’s a very key factor in making
a good rock record. Try stopping yourself from drumming on
the steering wheel to that one, I double-dog dare ya!
“Diet Coke” may be America’s most foul-tasting
soda, but it’s also the most refreshing track on the
album. With its Billy Idol-styled guitar melody, it’s
bubbly and bouncy and about getting blue balls at a rock show.
This was also a B-Side to the very first Barreracuda’s
“Dog Food” single (2010) and fans will be elated
to hear it reappear on a long play format.
“Cut Me Loose” is a track I could actually hear
on mainstream rock radio. Relax! I mean that as a compliment.
The lyrics are so simple and dumbed down that it’s actually
quite brilliant, and the melody progressions in the pre-choruses
are emotional and hook-driven. These guys make a song stick
stronger than your dad’s porno mags.
The album closes with “Dreamin’.” The ‘Cudas
take the Sticky Fingers exit strategy in that this
is the band at its most honky tonk. It’s a cutesy, playful
song to be sung out on the range under a big southern sky,
and an apropos sendoff since you’ll be dreaming of the
next Barreracuas full-length, probably due out around 2020.
Until then, you’ll want to obey Personal’s second
cameo command and flip the record over.
Twelve songs packed into less than 31 minutes is a testament
to The Barreracudas power in brevity. Either on stage or on
recording, they never leave an audience bored or exhausted.
They don’t overcomplicate songs. It’s not called
Can Do Progressively. And rather than defining themselves
as a garage band or a power pop act or a punk group, The Barreracudas
refuse to pigeonhole themselves. These are rock songs that
sound like rock songs, and this is an album that will make
you fall back in love with rock ‘n’ roll.
Can Do Easy.
With so much ease, it truly does.
Can Do Easy is streaming at
Noisey.
JerseyBeat.com
is an independently published music fanzine
covering punk, alternative, ska, techno and garage
music, focusing on New Jersey and the Tri-State
area. For the past 25 years, the Jersey Beat music
fanzine has been the authority on the latest upcoming
bands and a resource for all those interested in
rock and roll.
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