The Muffs
spent a lot of time on the road after the release of 1995's
Blonder and Blonder
, and you can hear how that live work paid off on the band's third album, 1997's
Happy Birthday to Me
. This edition of
the Muffs
sounds noticeably tighter and tougher here, while still maintaining the sense of snarky fun that's always been at the heart of their music.
Kim Shattuck
's guitar work is big and bold enough to comfortably carry the hooky melodies, and bassist
Ronnie Barnett
and drummer
Roy McDonald
play with enough muscle to get the job done, but with a swing that keeps the tunes light on their feet.
sounds leaner and more elemental than
' first two albums, in part thanks to the succinct tunes
Shattuck
brought to these sessions (six of them don't even crack the two-minute mark). But more than any of their studio albums,
captures the buzz of a good live show, with the musicians bounding through the set with a sense of fun and a powerful focus. And like much
' best work,
is engaging and exciting while dealing with some of the less appealing aspects of life and love;
displays a heart, soul, and point of view here that's honest and adult, acting as a solid complement to the teen appeal of the melodies.
produced
themselves (with an engineering assist from
Sally Browder
and
Steve Holroyd
), and the results speak to their smarts about knowing what works for them. (And the fact
cut her vocals at home may have a lot to do with why her singing here has more nuance than on their first two LPs).
failed to live up to sales expectations and proved to be
last album for a major label, but if there was a poppy punk band that deserved to grab the brass ring in the late '90s, it was this one, and this album captures them in excellent form. ~ Mark Deming