Electric Wisdom

The one thing the '90s punk revival didn't have enough of was bands unafraid to be alternately plain goofy and cheerfully, almost endearingly gross, with an unapologetic devotion to the idea that the world revolves around their own g******s. Portland's Electric Eye sounds like the bandmembers have mainlined the entire catalogs of the Dickies and the Dead Boys, and the group's 2003 debut, Electric Wisdom, shows both the strengths and weaknesses of that devotion. The best songs, as one might expect, are the crudest, from the duly-noted "Just Wanna F**k" and the derisive slag-off "Lenny and Squiggy" to the unexpectedly heartfelt "(F**k Off) Grim Reaper," which mixes a Ramones-like verse with a screamed chorus that recalls the art punk power of early Cleveland proto-punks like Rocket from the Tombs. Mono-named singer August has the shredded-tonsil bray of a young Stiv Bators, investing songs like the wild-eyed "Fliptops Are a Go!" with startling power, and the band powers along in full-on three-chord roar behind him. There's little if anything new and original about Electric Wisdom, but its direct, in-your-face pure punk power is exhilarating.