Shonen Knife
Pop Tune
Release Date: Jun 12, 2012
Genre(s): Pop/Rock, Alternative/Indie Rock, Alternative Pop/Rock
Record label: Good Charamel Records
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Album Review: Pop Tune by Shonen Knife
Excellent, Based on 2 Critics
Based on rating 8/10
Shonen Knife is one of those rare bands that basically figured out what it does well, perfected it, and then changed course in no fundamental way over the course of three decades. What they do is pretty straightforward: superficially scrappy and amateurish but deeply tight and tuneful punk-pop that closely follows the template first created by the Ramones (Shonen Knife's previous release was, in fact, a brilliant homage titled Osaka Ramones). They sing in charmingly near-idiomatic English, and write undeniable melodies and perfectly constructed songs.
Opinion: Excellent
Album 18 hints at a jaded corner in the psyche of this sunniest of bands. Jude Clarke 2012 Fresh from their 2011 Ramones tribute – surely the covers album they were always destined to make – Shonen Knife return with all-new material for their 18th release. Pop Tune finds the Japanese three-piece in fine form, exhibiting a wide-eyed freshness all the more remarkable when you consider that they have been a going concern since 1981.