Wax Museums

Punk rock is old enough to be making payments on a house in the suburbs and driving a mini-van these days, but that doesn't stop new kids from picking up cheap guitars and getting all fast, loud, and snotty, and though the Wax Museums don't bring a whole lot that's new to the punk rock equation, they attack this stuff with enough spazzed-out energy and passion that you might believe they invented it (or at least believe they believe they invented it). Leaping through 14 tunes in less than 19 minutes, the Wax Museums are obviously aiming for the goofball factor on their self-titled debut, with songs like "Glass Miniatures" ("Savin' it up, shellin' it out"), "Dogs of America" ("Dee! Oh! Gees! Of the You! Ess! Aye!") and "Dirty Dishes" ("There's dirt and grime everywhere/ Even under my toenails!"). But guitarist TV's Daniel chops out solid blasts of fuzzy six-string noise that keeps the almost-melodies chugging along, singer Paul Museum bellows with jut the right touch of adenoidal authority, and bassist Payton Green and drummer Jason K. keep the caffeinated rhythms on track throughout. It doesn't take long to figure out that the Wax Museums are aiming for laughs on most of their debut album, but they're just good enough to avoid sounding like a joke band; their touch is sloppy enough to come off as real kids following their own path towards sublime silliness but tight enough to get you pogoing around the room with their simple but sublime bashing. It may not be hard to do what the Wax Museums deliver on this album, but it isn't quite as simple to make it this much fun, and that's what makes this worth hearing.