“If you see me walking down the street and I start to cry each time that we meet. Walk on by. Walk on by.” Impossible. Just like the iconic Dionne Warwick who made this famous in ‘64, Chris Ballew (vocals, bassitar), Andrew McKeag (guitbass, vocals) and Jason Finn (drums, vocals) make it hard to walk on by, especially evident from this year’s Fuji Rock Festival and the following days Suikkerrock Festival in Belgium where they made sweet candy.
Again bringing a full frontal invasion to fruition within their sixth studio release, PUSA open this international road trip with the chunky, racing commentary of “Mixed Up S.O.B.,” guaranteeing the likelihood you’ll get pulled over just minutes from your home. As you get back on the road, “Ladybug” shuffles you along amid your perusal of all shared between peepers and mirrors. Finding irresistible eye candy has this trio “Sharpen Up Those Fangs” in this push-pull process. “More Bad Times” swings about, reveling in the silver linings discovered from adversities encountered. From unrelenting discussions stemming from a past lover that continues to spin you round and round within the marching, tick tock hard habit to break of “French Girl” to the hee-haw self-explanatory rambler “Truckstop Butterfly” ensures a pit stop to refuel.
Back on the road after a greasy-spoon feed, the buttoning “Ghosts Are Everywhere” makes you feel that wind go through your hair while slight smiles permeate the landscape. As everyone beside the driver knocks off, the walking “Loose Balloon” is good company. A savory sight to see awakens all in the boisterous warning swing of “Flame Is Love.” Recovering, the slicing chunky “So Lo So Hi” assists in making sense of extremities swallowed whole while the observatory of “Poor Turtle” relishes simple delights. With the mid afternoon cooking away, the feverish runaway of “Rot In The Sun” gives thanks while “Warhead” is a repeating plea for some mutually shared offensives to take place. The funk of “Deleter” explains the inevitable fallout of this union and with the racing restlessness of all passengers, its time to switch drivers in “Fire The Pilot.”
While the 4-year wait for W. Bush’s replacement is nearly over, the question is will people have to wait four more for the next PUSA album? Let’s hope not. During their next session perhaps they can include their route 66 for “Walk On By.”
To follow their yellow brick road and those cross-pollinating:
