Imperial Teen: On : Music Reviews : Rolling Stone

Album Reviews

Just out of curiosity: what did we do for fun in the summertime before Imperial Teen started making records? Ever since these California New Wave trash-pop deviants burst upon the scene with their glorious debut, Seasick, back in the summer of 1996, they have provided essential hot-weather party starters such as "Butch," "Lipstick," "Year of the Tan" and their Jawbreaker theme song "Yoo-Hoo." Imperial Teen's second album, 1999's What Is Not to Love, became a cult classic despite getting abandoned by their record company amid various major-label shenanigans. But the Teen return fully charged with their third album, On, locking into a Watusi groove of garage-punk guitars, boy-girl vocals and the usual glut of cleverly smutty lyrics. On kicks off on a high note with the one-two punch of "Ivanka" and "Baby," all hand claps and harmonies, but the band just keeps percolating all the way through to the end, hitting particularly effervescent highs in the bubbling hooks of "City Song," "Teacher's Pet" and "Undone." On is that increasingly rare rock & roll specimen -- a magnificently hedonistic party album for extremely consenting adults.

ROB SHEFFIELD
(RS 897 - June 6, 2002)