American Culture - Pure American Gum (CD)

Release Date: 03/10/15

Catchy pop songs buried in layers of fuzz and reverb / RIYL: Jesus And Mary Chain, the Bright Lights

Remember when Jesus And Mary Chain wanted really badly to be American during their mid-period? That's this record. This is classic 'American music'. Not so much Bo Diddley and Elvis, but more like Velvet Underground and the Stooges. These ten songs celebrate activities such as driving around, listening to music, going to the movies... but they're also about feeling anxious and out of place and not really knowing who or what you are. The songs themselves are buried in layers of fuzz and reverb, as if they were trying to mask their true identity: that is, catchy little pop hits. Sometimes they fade away too soon, sometimes they even just stop mid-sentence, but nevertheless, the ideas are already planted, and the songs remain stuck in your head. This is American Culture.