WhatzUp

number two
Buttonhead
by Jason Hoffman

> The boys in Buttonhead are back with their second album, the aptly descriptive Number Two. This time around they made the trek to Syracuse and Tim Bushong’s Record Plant in order to capture their essence of clean power pop with new-school punk overtones. The result is superb.

Each of the 10 tracks literally leap from the speakers with memorable, gleeful melodies and sugar-sweet harmonies. The careening rocker “Mark on Me” leads off the album. Great sounding guitars and bright vocal harmonies offset darker lyrics about the psychological damage some woman is going to do to him. “Addicted” (and the hidden track, the unedited version of “Addicted,” of which my llama-like ears really couldn’t discern any difference in lyrics or production) continues this mania, centering around a meaty bass line and the uber-catchy chorus of “I’m addicted to being addicted.” The Green Day influence is undeniable in “Microscope,” another song about the songwriters many horrible experiences with women. Here a chugging riff backs such lines as “Poking and prodding / Are two of your favorite things” and “I busted your microscope / ‘Cause I got tired of being under it.”

“Again, Again,” which first appeared on the most recent Essentials compilation, makes an appealing appearance here and will surely delight the myriad Buttonhead fans. A song which stuck in my head for an entire weekend is “Easy,” a confectionery-coated radio song with a pleasing feel-good vibe and the creative slam-chorus: “Nothing in the world is easy but your girlfriend.” The instrumental “Marky’s Song” was quite surprising in that it dispenses with the punk-pop and goes for a hard rock riff that is somewhat like the one MTV used to use back when it started ... very aggressive! This driving and varied piece segues perfectly into “Stupid,” a perfect way to end an album of bitter post-love songs. Sporting a resigned feel, this song switches gears a couple times as it ruminates, “When it’s all said and done / You’ll realize I’m the one.” Yeah ... and then you can go “Neener, Neener, Neener!”

Clocking in at around 40 minutes (plus the bonus track), this album is just about the right length for a shot of happy yet cynical musical buzz. The drums and bass are solid, the guitars shimmer with just the right amount of distortion, and the harmonies, which are definitely among the best I’ve heard from a local rock band, are all over the platter. Hear samples at www. Buttonheadonline.com or stop by a Wooden Nickel to get Number Two, an album that lets you know that, no, you’re not the unluckiest lover in Allen County.