So, not Green Day then. Well, of course it is, sort of (the trio actually makes up half of the FHTs), but their adoption of a pseudonym gives them the perfect excuse to pay homage to the music of their youths and before, particularly that of the first "British Invasion" of the mid 60s. It is not so much The Beatles held in thrall here as early Who, Yardbirds and pre-Dedicated Follower Of Fashion Kinks. Indeed, as a massive Kinks fan myself, one small grumble I have is that a couple of tracks seem to bear more than just the influence of Sir Raymond's band - Red Tide lifts the guitar riff of Tired Of Waiting For You pretty much wholesale while Alligator's relationship to You Really Got Me is rather more than distant cousins, if you catch my drift.
Little grumble aside, this is a blistering retro breeze of an album, scampering through its 12 tracks in around 32 minutes. The title track sets things off in full 60s throttle - you can almost imagine an audience seriously "frugging out" on some black and white TV pop show - and the album is never afraid to wear its influences with pride. Mother Mary takes the bassline to You Can't Hurry Love, tweaks it and speeds it up a bit, She's A Saint is pitched somewhere between The Ramones at their least frantic and The Cars at their most, while 27th Ave Shuffle is the missing link between My Generation and The Last Time. Occasionally (as on The Pedestrian) the mask slips and the band sounds like, well, like Green Day. On other tracks, like the Yardbirdsy Dark Side Of Night, you'd never guess.
Where American Idiot was earnest and serious, this is just fun. If you've got half an hour or so to spare and two feet to tap, this should do nicely.
