Pink Spiders - Teenage Graffiti

Teenage Graffiti is a very apt title for the Pink Spiders’ third release. I imagine the band to be what a lot of our favorite bands were like a decade prior to breaking out. Musically, the Pink Spiders give nods to OK Go on several tracks, but without Damien Kulash’s sly quality or, frankly, rock-solid hooks. I can also hear shades of other recent rock powerhouses--Yellowcard (who are thanked in the liner notes) and the All-American Rejects are both audible within the songs. In fact, the album’s lead single, “Little Razorblade”, which received airplay on MTV, sounds like it could have been ripped right off a Yellowcard album. That is to say, it sounds like a punk band that could be listenable when they grow up. However, the Pink Spiders have more promise than the Yellowcards and the All-American Rejects of the world. Although the lead-off track and single are relatively weak, there are some very interesting moments shoved into the middle of the disc, where most bands hide their filler. “Nobody Baby”, all the way down at track seven, is a nasty song worthy of The Hives. Although it suffers from some weak lyrics (as does much of the record), lead singer Matt Friction slings out “'Cause everybody here is nobody, baby, and that’s the goddamn truth” with enviable conviction-- and makes the point that sometimes style can defeat content. “Hollywood Fix” covers current pop music’s most tired subject, but it’s a hell of a jam. “Back to the Middle” is probably the strongest song on the record, and is a proper supporting argument to drummer Bob Ferrari’s claim to “world’s greatest drummer”. Teenage Graffiti is a very teenage album, but the potential of the Pink Spiders, both instrumentally and charismatically, is great. In three years and two records, they could become a really exciting band. In other words, don’t buy it for yourself. Buy it for a teenager--maybe you have a little brother or sister who likes to listen to music? The Pink Spiders might be the training bra that helps develop a big, bosomy love of real rock music. Give the tyke a copy of this record, water and sunlight, and monitor his/her growth closely. Who knows? In three years maybe they’ll both be brilliant. [www.pinkspiders.com]