In the early '90s, Seattle had a horde of bands eager to take part in the grunge revolution. Appealing to a pissed-off generation, these bands sang about everything from teen spirit to school violence to black-hole suns. Then The Presidents of the United States of America came along parading kitties and peaches, a band whose anthem was "We're Not Gonna Make It."
The Presidents of the United States of America
Freaked Out and Small
Musicblitz
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There's something to be said about bands that thrive off quirky pop-rock combinations and absolutely absurd lyrics. Whatever that is, PUSA seems to have mastered it. On Freaked Out and Small, there's plenty of off-the-wall topics and funky alt-rock.
Freaked could be PUSA's most adventurous album to date. The band strays away from the obscure sexual innuendos. OK, maybe "Tiny Explosions," but that's it. Instead, they deal with more important issues, like women.
Alright, so maybe they're still the immature little punks that they've always been, but it works. Songs like "Jazz Guy" and "Jupiter" highlight their simple-grunge-with-a-touch-of-funk sound. "Tiger Bomb" is the standout track on Freaked, featuring a perfect mix between percussion and piano.
Guitarist Dave Dederer gives lead vocals a try on a few tracks and does a pretty good job. On "I'm Mad," he discusses the band's breakup and eventual reformation. Then on "Superstar" he tells a story about seeing a beautiful girl driving on the highway before she drives off a bridge and into the sea.
But Dederer can't compare to lead singer/bassist Chris Ballew. Ballew shines on songs like "Tiny Explosions" and "Blank Baby," a commentary on copycat bands. "Cause even when the copyrights affixed / a genuine thief has got a bottomless bag of tricks," he complains.
While PUSA might not bring anything new to the table with Freaked, they prove that they still have it in them. Hey, maybe they did make it after all.
