Rock and pop seem to be genres that are easy to combine. It has been done for years. Yet so many bands try too hard and end up overplaying both sides without finding the middle ground.
American Culture is the real deal. The band knows the rock/pop sweet spot and their new full length Pure American Gum rides it with expert balance.
The songs are at their roots, pop tracks drenched in reverb. Its noise pop, power pop, whatever you want to call it. That doesn’t matter. What does matter is that the songs are catchy as hell. Opening tracks “My Teeth are Sharp” and “Actual Alien” are particularly awesome. The bands influences of Jesus & Mary Chain, Dinosaur JR. of course shine through. HoweverAmerican Gum is a soundtrack of sorts. I am not sure how to describe it, but as a child of the 80’s and 90’s this could have easily been the CD stuck in our car throughout high school and college road trips, a heaping dose of underground excellence while all my friends were jamming to top 40 bullshit.
Lyrically the album covers plenty different depths, from driving around, to coca cola, to social anxiety issues. It’s simple lyrics, but there is no need for really deep songwriting when the track are meant to get stuck in your head and just jam along.
The Vinyl
The LP is packaged in a unique way. LP is packed in a standard white jacket inside of 3/4 fold slip case. The lyrics are printed on newsprint and the album is pressed on black wax. Its a cool package. Get yours March 15 from your local independent store or direct from Jigsaw Records.
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