The Interpreters - Back in the U.S.S.A. - 1997

This trio is from Philadelphia? Back in the U.S.S.A. was actually recorded in London, and every band who this jacked-up pack of power pop punksters hints at appears to be British, both of old and recent vintages. Their older 7" single (the B-side of which, "Dogskin Report," is included here) was produced by mod legend Shel Talmy, the man behind the desk for the early smashes by the 1964-1966 Kinks, Who, and Easybeats (among others). So it's not surprising that the Interpreters pay tribute to one of Talmy's biggest hits by filching the signature riff of "My Generation" for the opening of "Ironic...Blowout." But far from a revival of that high-octane sound and style -- though there is a little first-two LPs Jam, Purple Hearts, and Jolt to the songs -- the hyper-pogo brand on display, sometimes with jazzy horns, actually places this band closer to a cross between Supergrass and Bis, if the latter could play better and wrote catchy songs, and if the former had even more outrageous teen energy. With many a song and surge reminding one of Supergrass' "Strange Ones" or "Caught By the Fuzz," only with less nasal singing, these folks are perhaps the happiest bunch of snot-nosed kids here. Since they slot in well with the faster songs of Elastica or 3 Colours Red, they'd be leading the louder, harder end of the otherwise ridiculous Brit-pop scene if they were from Mayfair, not just recorded there. Ron A. Shaffer and the band's production are both American; cranking smackers such as "She Took It Shy" and the excellent, more restrained closer "Today and Every Day" hit one in the nose like an old Zero Boys, Kraut, or Shattered Faith LP: real punchy, real roaring, and real clean. -AMG



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