99 Lives

You know what you're going to get with a Groovie Ghoulies record. The band has been chugging along for over a decade, releasing lightweight, goofy punk-pop nuggets of unvaryingly high quality. Sort of like the Ramones in their early days but mostly just like themselves at this point. And if you think about it, after ten years in the biz the Ramones were releasing weak records like Animal Boy. The Ghoulies rise far above that level on 2007's 99 Lives. All the things that make them so much fun are here: Roach's simple and punchy guitar attack, Scampi's pounding drums and Kepi's catchy, witty tunes about interesting things like the wisdom of Devo, hairy girls, rock & roll and having fun. His voice is still spot-on perfect for the GG's brand of punk-pop & roll; light and breezy with a teenage brattiness that has some bite, especially on songs like "Nothing" (as in "this world it owes you nothing") and "Saying Goodbye Again" that have some anger hidden slightly below the surface. Along with their usual off-kilter material, this time out they make room for some love ("(I've Got) Love to Give") and love lost ("Grand Central") songs, and one bona fide punk-pop classic: the strutting, incredibly catchy "99 Lives." It's nice when bands can be counted on to deliver the goods time and again. 99 Lives is the goods, delivered fast, fun and funny just like you like it.