Sugarcult

Pop music will never get any better than this. Sugarcult has arrived at the right time and we can enjoy their fabulous songwriting abilities. Think Joe Jackson meets Elvis Costello meets Owsley (the band) with a bit of Red Planet thrown in—this is where these SoCal suit-with-skinny-tie guys come from, sonically. When “You’re the One,” “Stuck in America,” “Saying Goodbye” and the very catchy “Bouncing off the Walls”—with melodies you’ll have a hard time escaping—get stuck in your head, beware. See, the gutsy thing about Sugarcult is that the band isn’t afraid to go a different direction with its look: Did you ever think skinny ties would be cool again? Not in this corner. But it works. And you know why? Because the songs and the look come together. This recording needs to be in your CD player if you want to get away from the “I hate myself and I want to die” bands so prevalent today. Turn it up!