Potty Mouth “SNAFU”

There was a time when the idea of another ‘punk pop’ band from the US would make your heart sink. Thankfully, we seem to have moved on from those days when it was really just a bunch of male jerks in a shitty band. Now we’re seeing a host of bands offering up something far more interesting. And the fact Potty Mouth are referenced alongside bands like Speedy Ortiz and The Coat Hangers makes us even more interested.

The band’s name certainly feels pretty appropriate when you hear the snotty punk of “Do It Again”, a joyful punky pop number. We must admit that, at our age, we feel a bit of a fraud listening to tracks like “22” and “Liar”. They seem like the perfect songs to match the growing pains of being a young adult. But, who cares about age when we can still take joy in the brilliant throw away punk anthems like “Smash Hit”.

The key point about Potty Mouth is that they are not ‘just’ about youthful exuberance. On tracks like “Starry Eyes” and “Plastic Paradise” they demonstrate a keen ear for a true ‘pop’ gem and a knack for writing engaging and charming songs. Whilst songs like “Fence walker” and “Massachusetts” recall the smartly written pop punk, or almost power pop, sound of brilliant artists like Juliana Hatfield or Liz Phair.

There seems to be a bit of a resurgence in bands delivering songs that are punk pop in terms of being instantly appealing but also having a ‘smarter’ edge to them. It means that you can love the songs from the outset, but they don’t lose their appeal after repeated listening. It’s a genre that lost its way for a long while and became pretty one dimensional. Potty Mouth are a band that are bringing back the craft of great pop/punk songs for, hopefully, a whole new generation to enjoy.