TRML’s Sound Selections #60
The Presidents of The United States of America – The Presidents of The United States of America
As far as debut albums go, there are only a select few that could be considered “iconic.” Most bands don’t find their groove until the second or even third album. But The Presidents of The United States of America tapped into something special and knocked it out of the park on the first go. With ultra-catchy radio-friendly hits like “Lump” and “Peaches,” their self-titled debut brings the listener on an incredibly fun mid-90’s alt-rock journey that begins with the delightfully raunchy “Kitty” and continues at full-speed through 13 tracks soaked in fuzzed guitar with driving drums and Chris Bellew’s quirky and often funny lyrics. Oh, and let’s not forget a blistering cover of MC5’s Kick Out The Jams, because WHY NOT?!
When “Peaches” hit the airwaves in the mid-nineties, I was at just the right age to latch onto that kind of quirkiness. Like much of the PUSA output, it was silly and had a sense of fun that young me could enjoy. However, it wasn’t until many years later that I actually listened to the rest of the album and discovered a WHOLE ALBUM of excellent songs like the beloved “Peaches.” It also helped that the album opener is laugh-out-loud funny and has an expletive-laden verse you can shout along to (which apparently was NOT the band’s idea but rather the record label’s). The President’s debut is a banger all the way through and an excellent jumping-on point for this band’s excellent (albeit short) discography.
