Start Static

Contains a hidden track after "I Changed My Mind."
Sugarcult: Tim Pagnotta (vocals, guitar); Marko 72 (guitar); Airin (bass, background vocals); Ben Davis (drums, background vocals).
Recorded between March and April 2001.
This Santa Barbara foursome has its pop-punk aesthetic down cold. They should; they spent plenty of time touring in support of their first two indie records before landing on Ultimatum/Artemis and releasing START STATIC. Their sound is a canny mix of contemporary pop-punk and late-'70s new wave. Accordingly, the songs exult in catchy choruses, herky-jerky riffs, and rhythms alternately bouncy and rampaging. Moments like the opening guitar lines of "Saying Goodbye" and the irresistible chorus of opening tune "You're the One" show that for all their punky energy these lads have pop smarts aplenty. "Crashing Down" and "Changed My Name" show that Sugarcult is far from incapable of ballads, and the closing hidden track even gets a bit jazzy. Possibilities clearly abound.