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Written by Jim Dunn Tuesday, 22 April 2008 16:03

Irony in rock 'n' roll is a tough feat to pull off but Sarandon makes it happen.

The description on LastFM is pretty succinct: "Scratchy itchy guitars, rumbling bass and tumbling drums." I can't remember a band that made me immediately smile since the first time I heard/saw Minus the Bear or when I was a kid and bought a Gruppo Sportivo EP on a personal dare. Sarandon sounds like one of the perfect late '70s/early '80s post-punk bands that blazed away on mix tapes and in the oh-so-hip clubs. A little bit Bongos, a little bit Gang of Four, and just a tiny bit of the Fall.

Short, catchy songs that are memorable is what pop is all about (apparently 2:42 makes the perfect song) and Sarandon pulls them off brilliantly. Their songs are funny and quirky. I won't spend the entire review quoting lyrics, but here is one of my favorites from "Massive Haircut": "I'll grow a mustache that won't suit me/ then shave all my body completely/ tattoo eyebrows across my forehead/ so I look shocked when you meet me/ I try to be cool, I act like a fool/ deep down I wish you would stop me/ but you just laugh behind my back/ at me and my massive haircut." Kind of sad and mean at the same time, but we all know it is true.

Irony in rock 'n' roll is a tough feat to pull off but Sarandon makes it happen with titles like "The Discotecheque is my lover" "massive haircut" and "good working practice." I don't know if the band kills twee pop as its title professes, but it goes a long way toward putting some muscle in the genre known as pop.

The album is a brisk listen. With only one song over the three-minute mark, the album clocks in at just about a half hour. So make sure when you put it on to hit the "repeat" button. | Jim Dunn