Lost at the Party

Bay Area-based punkers Terry Malts cast a wider net than usual for their third full-length album, Lost at the Party. The trio had previously limited their recording to garages, capturing lo-fi manic explosions anchored by the pop chops of bassist/vocalist Phil Benson and guitarist/vocalist Corey Cunningham. On Lost at the Party, the band refines its pop sensibilities to its heart-beating essence and trades in the strictly buzzsaw riffage for more dynamic exhibitions of post-punk pomp. Opener “Used to Be” leads the charge with a propulsive verse and catchy chorus asking, “Do you want it back how it used to be?” The more acutely pop-punk approach manifests again in the addictive “Won’t Come to Find You,” a track that benefits from Terry Malts’ first foray into a real studio to record. The vaguely Modern English-sounding “Gentle Eyes” brings a straight-up radio-friendly pop song to the mix. Do you want it back how it used to be? Nah, this is pretty damn good, too.