Pep Squad

Item: Yreka Bakery
Author: Steven S. Baldwin

Yreka Bakery

(1999)

Reviewed by Steven S. Baldwin

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Label Tooth & Nail RecordsThe Phantom Tollbooth1999

indie pop indie rock pop punk power pop

Give me a P! Give me an E! Give me another P! Give me a S - Q - U - A - D! What does it spell? PEP SQUAD! Go Pep Squad, go! If the band name Pep Squad mentally conjures a group of alterna-pop cheerleaders, you would be close. If you envision a gaggle of cutesy, short skirt-wearing, guitar-playing, tumbling teenagers, however, the analogy has gone too far (although the band has been known to feature real cheerleaders in their live shows). Instead, imagine taking your standard nineties modern rock band and adding some nice sonic frills, lots of pop smarts, and plenty of smile-inducing antics. They correctly describe their sound as "the Pixies-meet-Weezer." Coincidently, they have the same sex line-up as the Pixies, with three guys and one gal, but the comparisons don't end there. A number of these songs, and the first track "Wild Dogs" in particular, feature many Pixieish touches, right on down to the nearly Black Francis/Frank Black squealing vocals. Despite these moments that skirt too close to mimicry, their overall sound also recalls a happier Stone Temple Pilots, a less gritty Common Children, and a host of other fuzzy guitar playing bands.

The band has a reputation for not taking themselves too seriously. If you like satire, their sly sense of humor is amply evident, yet more smile cracking than Terry Taylor-esque guffawing. Even their palindrome album title, Yreka Bakery, and surreal song lyrics reflect that spirit. "The Fabulous Moolah" celebrates an actual grandma who wrestles in the WWF, and "Erik's (got a) Girlfriend," describes a young man's peculiar infatuation with Barbie dolls. Just the sort of thing you might expect from the Pixies, but with one very significant difference. Whereas that other band wrote seemingly giddy songs from a postmodern, fragmented and often slightly sinister perspective, Pep Squad borrows some of the postmodern vibes and places them in a hopeful, Christian-world-view setting. The result is a load of playful fun with a few seriously inspirational moments. "On that Day," for example, features Biblically-inspired lyrics with an ultimately uplifting, hopeful message:

For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine.
Instead, to suit their own desires they hear what their itching ears want to hear.

I have fought the good fight
I have finished the race
I have kept the faith
Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness.

Interestingly, Yreka Bakery's most obviously Christian moment seems out of place among the other more snide and enigmatic songs which serve the band's style better. In fact, the album's most enjoyable songs feature far less straight-forward lyrical content, and one album highlight "Black and Blue" has none at all, unless you count "ah's and oh's." The lyrics to "A Beat" are simply, "Time's slowly groovin' my feet. It's a beat." The simplicity of such non-statements coupled with cheerful, well-played music are a satisfying hit.

Among the album's two biggest highlights, one comes in the form of a curious cover. The members of Pep Squad were barely out of diapers when Adam Ant released "Friend or Foe" back in 1982. This grunged-out version is grittier, but remains true to the original with its jaunty feeling and trumpet trills courtesy of Mike Maffe. The second high point is an original entitled "The Floor," which is a fabulously funky disco number mixing Donna Summer's style with Le Chic and touches of Prince's Controversy-era vibes. Although purported to have a pro-abstinence message, the lyrics are too ambiguous to persuasively make the point, which is a symptom of the entire album's avoidance of substantial lyrical content. Regardless, both "Friend or Foe" and "The Floor" serve as bonafide booty-shaking fun.

To be sure, the disco-master himself, Gene Eugene of Adam Again, had a hand in this album's success. Not only part of the production team with Chris Colbert, Eugene is also credited with keyboard bits and guitar tricks. It shows. How much credit he deserves is uncertain, but it appears he had a good time stretching the band into some zany, crowd-pleasing territory. Additionally there are plenty of nice photos of the band and a (perhaps fictional) bakery that proved to be an inspiration for the silly album title.

Marking their third release to date, and with plenty of help from their friends and input from fans, Pep Squad is improving with their every new adventure. In contrast to many modern rock bands today that make you feel distraught or overly angry at the world, Yreka Bakery actually makes you smile. They not only live up to their name, this album will leave you refreshed and energized just like, well, cheerleaders.

4 tocks