Praise be to the pop-punk gods: The Muffs are back. Front-woman Kim Shattuck, bassist Ronnie Barnett and drummer Roy McDonald have reunited after a 10-year hiatus. And they sound as fresh and enthusiastic as ever.
They have stayed faithful to their sound too, a mix of punk attitude and ‘60s-style doo wop vocals. Plus, there is the guttural screaming of Shattuck, who came to wider attention when she briefly joined Pixies as bassplayer last year.
Lyrically, we aren’t exactly talking Finnegans Wake. ‘Paint By The Numbers’ has extremely simple sentiments of which “You know it makes me happy” and “You my honey” are not atypical. So don’t expect any lyrical revelations or striking poetry.
This is not a problem, however, in that it is faithful to the slightly naive ‘60s sensibility in which The Muffs place such stock. Indeed on tunes such as ‘Where Did I Go Wrong’ and ‘Because You’re Sad’ their debt to The Beatles is marked. However, the syrupy sweet streak has a darker side on the outwardly upbeat ‘Take A Take on Me’, which concerns a fistfight.