LA’s Cheap Tissue bill themselves as rough around the edges garage punk, namedropping melodic yet understated groups like Radioactivity. While the general sound isn’t too far off the mark, the band’s take on high energy garage-fueled punk is more brash and spit-shined, showing more in common with acts like The Hives and New York Dolls. There’s more flash and posturing than working class grittiness to the production.
Their self-titled debut runs out 12 songs over 23 minutes without letting up. It’s short, fast, and to the point with driving energy and a rock ‘n’ roll swagger. Lyrics like to use some of those time-tested edgy mannerisms, dropping in words like “ain’t,” “pretty,” and a good amount of innuendo. In 2018, it’s hopefully tongue-in-cheek to sing a song like “Parts” (“She’s got all the parts I need”), but it also raises some questions. It certainly rubs me the wrong way.
While “Parts” lowers the overall experience, the record is solid and bursting with positive energy that’s good to keep the party going. “New Promotion” is possibly the album’s most diverse song. Starting with a Ramones-y “woo-oo,” the ‘60s-inspired surf notes and somewhat goofy vocal tradeoffs give it a nice counter rhythm where the melody counteracts with the high-strung tone of the album as a whole.
While I prefer things a little more understated than this, the band do this style well enough that a lot of people will enjoy the album, provided you like your rock ‘n’ roll built on four chords, powerful beats and hip-shaking rhythms, and italicized attitude.
