If it weren’t for all the cusswords and craziness, one might mistake the rowdy LP from The Girth for a children’s album. With its epic chants (PDB, Travel Sushi), ragged guitars, minimalist drumming and a few piano tinkles thrown in for good measure, it’s kind of the party album of the year. Vocalist/guitarist Steve Basham’s lyrics are absurdist popsterpieces, not far off from the Kids in the Hall/Shadowy Men on a Shadowy Planet “Premise Beach” sketch. The most entertaining of these are the pair of Messy Man and Sittin’ in the City, a couple of tunes that you can help but smile along to. Delivered with the same ramshackle care as most anything in Pavement or The Vagiants’ catalogues, it’s that tight kind of sloppy that all the kids like to dance to these days.

Published in Volume 67, Number 26 of The Uniter (May 29, 2013)