The HorrorPops get another great CD review!

Horrorpops deliver Bring It On, their sophomore release with Hellcat Records. So you're thinking, they're part of that psychobilly craze, right? That genre which sounds really cool, but half the time you don't know whether to laugh, cheer, or run away in terror? Yes, that's the one, but the Horrorpops aren't like the rest of the pack. With the recent addition of Geoff Kresge (formerly of Tiger Army) and the decision to have the whole band take part in the song writing process, the Horrorpops bring more diversity to their sound than ever before.
Bring It On brings a lot to the table -- the Horrorpops keep the "sexy/scary" style they've practically trademarked, but take a step back and look at things from outside the scene, even criticizing it in the opening track, "Freaks In Uniforms." Singer Patricia Day belts out her deep, talented vocals in this song, singing "Stuffed up opinions, dooms all thinking -- trying to put everything in a box, freaks in uniforms, creating norms -- it's misguided loyalty!" This refrain relates not only to the zombified psychobilly community, but could be applied to the fashion-stricken punk scene as well. The band shows further insight in "Hit'N'Run." Although the Horrorpops sing about relationships as much as the next band, at least they don't act like the world has betrayed them. "Let on by love and crushed by love -- well, its nothing to cry for -- I'm not the first to be lied to." It's pretty easy to see how this is much better than the whiney woe-is-me emo crap out there.
Their musical style is fun and distinctive, a catchy blend of upright-bass rockabilly and straight up rock (of course with a dose of the macabre, like in "Walk Like a Zombie.") A female front woman works particularly well for this genre, for some reason... I think it sounds more fun and less silly than some of the all-male varieties. Throughout Bring It On, the band doesn't stray far from the musical style they've conjured, but they manage to tweak it enough from track to track to ensure that their sense of freshness lasts the duration of the album. Bottom line: If a little rockabilly is your idea of fun, you can't go wrong with the Horrorpops.
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By Barbara
barbara@punk-it.net