The boys in Buttonhead are back with their
second album, the aptly descriptive Number
Two. This time around they made the trek to
Syracuse and Tim Bushongs Record Plant in order
to capture their essence of clean power pop with
new-school punk overtones. The result is
superb.
Each of the 10 tracks literally leap from the
speakers with memorable, gleeful melodies and
sugar-sweet harmonies. The careening rocker Mark
on Me leads off the album. Great sounding
guitars and bright vocal harmonies offset darker
lyrics about the psychological damage some woman
is going to do to him. Addicted (and the hidden
track, the unedited version of Addicted, of
which my llama-like ears really couldnt discern
any difference in lyrics or production) continues
this mania, centering around a meaty bass line
and the uber-catchy chorus of Im addicted to
being addicted. The Green Day influence is
undeniable in Microscope, another song about
the songwriters many horrible experiences with
women. Here a chugging riff backs such lines as
Poking and prodding / Are two of your favorite
things and I busted your microscope / Cause I
got tired of being under it.
Again, Again, which first appeared on the most
recent Essentials compilation, makes an
appealing appearance here and will surely delight
the myriad Buttonhead fans. A song which stuck in
my head for an entire weekend is Easy, a
confectionery-coated radio song with a pleasing
feel-good vibe and the creative slam-chorus:
Nothing in the world is easy but your
girlfriend. The instrumental Markys Song was
quite surprising in that it dispenses with the
punk-pop and goes for a hard rock riff that is
somewhat like the one MTV used to use back when
it started … very aggressive! This driving and
varied piece segues perfectly into Stupid, a
perfect way to end an album of bitter post-love
songs. Sporting a resigned feel, this song
switches gears a couple times as it ruminates,
When its all said and done / Youll realize Im
the one. Yeah … and then you can go Neener,
Neener, Neener!
Clocking in at around 40 minutes (plus the bonus
track), this album is just about the right length
for a shot of happy yet cynical musical buzz. The
drums and bass are solid, the guitars shimmer
with just the right amount of distortion, and the
harmonies, which are definitely among the best
Ive heard from a local rock band, are all over
the platter. Hear samples at www.
Buttonheadonline.com or stop by a Wooden Nickel
to get Number Two, an album that lets you
know that, no, youre not the unluckiest lover in
Allen County.