Stoley P.T. - Lesson #1

Pencil in Lesson #1 among the list of guilty pleasures. It doesn’t bring anything new to the musical table, its song lyrics aren’t particularly well-written, and the insights it offers are far from profound. But its brash, catchy melodies, led by chomping guitars and spunky, albeit pedestrian, vocals, also make it damned hard to dislike. If nothing else, it proves that there’s still something to be said for cheap thrills. With this loud, puckish musical attitude and sophomoric worldview (punctuated by a mom dig and a preoccupation with bongs), Lesson #1 plays much like the crown jewel of guilty pleasures, the screwball teen comedy. Its songs brim with a youthful energy and sarcastic humor that all but overshadow its adolescent attempts to tackle weightier issues like isolation and insecurity. The end results are far from poignant, but then, the hooks are infectious enough that you might just find yourself tempted to sing ”Everything is awesome!” along with eponymous vocalist Stoley on album opener “t.y.s.” Even if you’re not willing to admit it. [www.stoley.com]