It’s a bit hard to imagine that Bill and Lisa Roe were pushing 30 when CoCoComa recorded their first album, since the music has the nervy but joyous attack of a bunch of kids jacked up on Mountain Dew and Pixie Stix and set loose on some instruments. But CoCoComa’s self-titled debut is also garage punk with a genuine sense of history, something that often comes with maturity and the time to assemble a top-shelf record collection, and amidst the stripped-down three-chord melodies and frantic tempos, CoCoComa nod to rock & roll’s noble past in the way the two-finger Farfisa organ lines dominate the arrangements, and the buzzy guitar lines sound more like the Sonics (or the Mummies) than, say, the White Stripes. Not that CoCoComa appear to have spent too much time thinking this music to death: while the harmonies and the simple but effective tunes make it clear this band has smarts to spare and lots of good ideas, CoCoComa are mostly concerned with having some loud, sweaty fun, and that’s just what their first album delivers. Bill Roe’s frantic but rock-solid drumming and over the top lead vocals, Lisa Roe’s elemental and unstoppable guitar and Mike Fitzpatrick’s wailing and historically accurate organ and bass cohere into a glorious blur of energy and celebratory howling, and it’s hard to imagine anyone who loves rock & roll in its pure state not falling in love with it. The final cut is titled “I Want More,” and that sums up how you’re likely to feel about this album: at just 21 minutes, this is the sound of a party just hitting full speed when it gets shut down, but there’s still plenty of good fun to be had here while it lasts. – Mark Deming
more »
