Ladies and gents, welcome to the best record of 2003 so far. I know our more pedantic readers may well argue that ‘Start Static‘ was originally released way back in 2001, but after signing to Epitaph Europe Sugarcult will finally give the record a new lease of life over here. Basically the most fun album that’s been put out in absolutely ages, Sugarcult are a good time party band that demand your attention. ‘Start Static‘ is anything but pop-punk by numbers. It has a spikey anthemic edge to it that hasn’t been heard in many a year, which when mixed alongside the more classic songwriting style that frontman Tim Pagnotta adopts, combines to come up with some of the most bouncy tracks you’ll hear all year. It also makes for a record which is as chaotic as it is sane. In short it’s bloody essential.
With a name taken from a group of seven lesbians who lived across the hall from Tim, Sugarcult formed in 1998 and have left a trail of devastaion at venues across the US. Famed for their drinking, one member has already suffered from a stint in rehab, while every other has suffered a drink-related injury. With over 220 shows last year alone, being a member of Sugarcult is not for the faint of heart and this live-every-day-as-if-it’s-your-last attitude is evident on record. The likes of the anthemic opener ‘You’re The One’ and the call to arms of ‘Stuck In America’ are as short and catchy as anything that’s hit the radio waves in recent times. Guitarist Marko 72 (ex Ataris, Swingin Utters and Bad Astronaut) described it as the type of song that every kid can identify with, and that is half of the Sugarcult appeal – they’re a band who you, I and the dog feel an affinity with. You are part of them and they are part of you – now strap in for the ride.
‘Hate Every Beautiful Day’ adds a darker element that Tim drops in at will from time to time, while the fast and furious ‘Bouncing Off The Walls’ is a sure-fire mosh pit hit. You can almost smell the sweat already. Again the song’s charm lies in its simplicity, but it will sure as hell have you singing along in two shakes of a rats tail. “I’ve got nothing left to lose, with the years I’ve wasted on you,” Tim spits, but we’ve all been there and got the t-shirt and it’s this which makes for such a successful recipe. At the same time ‘Bouncing Off The Walls’ is a song which hints at the band’s heavy drug use, showing that Sugarcult are not just another no-brainer band that sing about the good times. ‘Saying Goodbye’ carries on this trend with a chorus as catchy as the last.
‘Daddy’s Little Defect’ and ‘Lost In You’ are classic timeless anthems, but call them pop-punk at your peril. Sugarcult will go to pains to tell you they’re a rock band – and you’d be a fool to argue for long. The arpeggioed guitar riff of ‘Pretty Girl’ is as mellow as the record gets, but even then there’s that Elvis Costello edge to the track that gives it that timeless quality. Tim’s vocals chop and change from pop to the more punk sneer, while the ballad ‘Crashing Down’ gets things all serious and depressed for a couple of minutes.
‘Start Static‘ is a brilliant album by a brilliant band and although the year is merely a month old it’s the best release so far in 2003. With an incendary live show as captivating as this record, Sugarcult are bound to become one of this years hot bands. Forget your Sum 41‘s and your Bowling For Soup‘s, Sugarcult are the really cool good time band you need to be into.
Paul