From College Station, Texas, The Ex-Optimists know how to plow into a power pop tune. Somehow I’d forgotten that the father of power pop, Buddy Holly, honed his craft in Texas. For this revved up rock tune, there’s a hint of Devo in the vocal delivery, and a dash of Ramones in the beat, and there’s a remarkable joy in language for language’s sake. Finally, a tip of the hat to production value. It’s worth noting that a song dedicated to the mechanical failure of Chrysler’s most ignominious auto line (which is saying something) packs a sonic power that Bob Ezrin would respect.
For a more sprawling exploration of the possibilities of noise, The Ex-Optimists have a formidable album on bandcamp. Every note this band plays seems fully earned and invested.