The Buffys are a Midwest based girl punk band. They are the first band on Room 12 Records, and their self-titled EP is the label's first release. Label owner and producer, Josh Plemon (who plays in and produces S.S. Bountyhunter, and has recorded Side Walk Slam and Calibretto 13, among others), couldn't have made a better choice...
Chick punk bands get an automatic edge over guy bands these days, because there are so few of them, even less who are any good, and simply because they are so cool when they are good. What started back with the Go-Gos, and has continued lately with the Halo Friendlies and The Donnas, is one of the rarer, but most popular forms of punk rawk. And The Buffys carry on the tradition in grand style, playing innocent-sounding songs with such energy and sincerity that the listener (especially if he's a guy) is immediately floored. And guess what…unlike the Donnas in their early stages, The Buffys actually play their own instruments and write their own songs. Olivia plays punk guitar very well, and her lead vocals are melodic and upfront, and thankfully not as breathy and annoying as Gwen Stefani and her copycats these days. Sarah's bass playing is all over the place, at times reminiscent of Brett Reed's (Rancid) intensity and speed. And Deanna, borrowed drummer from The Halo Friendlies, keeps the band moving with her quick and sharp drumming. Sarah and Deanna's backing vocals compliment Olivia's lead vocals perfectly, and just…sound…so…fun!
The album opens with the two part song, Intro/Days Gone By. The "Intro" part of it is an instrumental that has all the power and intensity of any of the boy bands. It makes good use of triple-tracked guitars for a really full and premeditated sound. "Intro" also sounds remarkably similar to a certain theme song (which will remain nameless due to stupid corporate copyrights), punkified of course. Days Gone By is a lovesick song about some dumb guy who's ignoring one of the girls. The next song, Swizzle Stix, is the girls' list of demands for would-be boyfriends, concluding with "he doesn't have to be real strong, he doesn't have to be super smart. He's got to be a man of God and have Jesus in his heart." The fact that The Buffys steal chords from a well known Ramones song doesn't matter, because they play it their own way.
N.C. is written in half French, half English, so I really have no idea what it's talking about, although I think it has something to do with missing your man when he's gone. Something like that. Learning French to find out seems like a reasonable option. The song is pulled off really well, with perfectly executed starts and stops. But the last song, Like New, is the best song on the record. It is a "thank you" of sorts to God, with a sing-along feel. It starts slow, and builds quickly, and features some beautifully performed gang vocals.
It seems like most female musicians are either hippie-folk-girls, pretty faced pop singers, or nasty riot girls, so The Buffys are like a breath of fresh air. And it's the most fun breath of air you'll ever have. I've listened to this CD a good two or three dozen times since I got it a few weeks ago, and that's really rare for me. My only complaint about it is that it is too short. Hopefully the girls will release a full-length soon. Oh, and Olivia's married, and Sarah's seriously dating someone. Sorry boys, maybe next time.
