Welcome Back to 7th Grade
It’s almost a given that what someone’s tastes were when they were young will change once they become adults. Emotionally intense or flippantly silly bands may appeal to that person when they are a teenager. One of those bands would be Electrocute with their aptly named debut full-length LP Troublesome Bubblegum.
With 80s-influenced electro-clash synth-pop melodies, crunchy, gritty guitars and dead-pan female vocals one might think that Electrocute is on the same wavelength as bands like Le Tigre. However their punky songs are not about issues that concern the socially conscious. Upon hearing lyrics like “Whatever/Blah blah blah” from the opening track “Tales of Ordinary Sadness” and “Nobody likes us ‘cause we’re two lazy chicks” from “Nobody Likes Us” it is clear that the content is closer to bands like The Moldy Peaches or Stereo Total with goofy off-kilter songs about downloading porn and cats. The sound is campy with good-natured Atari-like sound effects, perfectly matching the bubblegum-punk album title. On the other hand the lyrics are adolescent making it a fun album for the young and ridiculous for the mature music fans.
The best song musically on the album is also one of the worst for lyrical content. That song is “Fun is a Floppy Bitch” which is well put together and even has a delightful guitar solo. Nevertheless, as the title may suggest is also bereft of any kind of listenable substance, harping on childish ideas.
In the end, Troublesome Bubblegum by Electrocute is a great album for the inane, frivolous and youthful. For those who are seeking beautifully written music full of insight, they should definitely keep looking.
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