SPUD CANNON: ‘GOOD KIDS MAKE BAD APPLES’ ALBUM REVIEW
Brooklyn based baddies, Spud Cannon drop their raucous third LP, ‘Good Kids Make Bad Apples’.
Typically, when considering where to record your next album, most people’s first thought wouldn’t be to break into their university squash courts; but that’s exactly what Brooklyn based quintet Spud Cannon did for their third album, released today via Good Eye Records.
Forming in the fall of 2016 after meeting on college campus, the group (made up of Meg Matthews (lead vox), Jackson Walker Lewis (guitar), Ari Bowe (keys), Lucy Horgan (bass) and Benjamin Scharf (drums)) have gone from playing shows at house parties and dominating their college’s Battle Of The Bands, to opening for the likes of Snail Mail, Speedy Orits and Del Water Gap. Most recently they’ve spent their time pulling all-nighters in favour of definitely-allowed recording sessions at their university squash courts. Quite the journey, you could say!
‘Good Kids Make Bad Apples’ doesn’t stray too far from the sonic landscape of its two predecessors, ‘Next Time Read the Fine Print’ (2017) and ‘Squeeze’ (2018). Featuring many of the same spikey similarities, the tracklisting does feel somewhat familiar; however, this record definitely packs that extra punch. Plus, it’s the product of breaking and entering - now you can’t tell me that’s not badass! Oh - and did I mention each song was recorded in the Wall of Sound-style? Pretty cool!
Opening with the lead single ‘Juno’, the group have no hesitation in diving straight in with this peppy number; it’s the perfect setup for the eight tracks that follow and a fitting introduction to Spud Cannon if you’re new around here. Exploring themes of self-worth, relationships, and some good old fashioned fun, the album drops just in time for summer packed with glistening character and east-coast charm.
A clear stand ‘out’, ‘Out!’ is quirky, admirably unorthodox, and frankly, quite the bop. From the grit of its fuzzy bassline (warning - this will get stuck in your head!) to the conversational to and fro of guitars, it’s a real highlight for the band. From one earworm to the next, fourth track ‘You Got It All (NOT)’ has been used by VANS in their latest global advertising campaign, a brand aligning well with their charismatic presence.
Midway through the record, we’re gifted with ‘Lovely’, which is precisely that. See this as the breather in between the noise - but a breather that features a brass section! It’s amazing! As we make our way through the second half of the record, it would also be wrong to causally breeze past track seven, ‘P.O.T.A.T.O’. It’s just over a minute long, contains a rather healthy dose of distortion and fuzz and at times even seems a tad chaotic - but it’s a loveable chaos, a sentiment that seems a fitting summary of the band’s sound! This is followed by ‘Na Na Na’, the flawless summer anthem that I have been searching for.
Overall the record is sonically sound, ticking the box of being “music you could dance to at a dormitory basement party” and so much more! It's come at a time where high energy songs have been lacking; listening to it feels like being around a good friend who knows exactly just how to cheer you up! I’ll definitely be adding Spud Cannon to my playlists this summer.
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