Coconut Coolouts – Party Time Machine review

Coconut Coolouts – “Party Time Machine”
(Haunted Horse)

Blasting out party punk with dancey elements is always a difficult trick. Do it right, and you’ve got the best garage band ever (at least that’s what your friends will say). Do it wrong, and the album is straight to the closeout bin. Basically, you’re either somewhere in the vein of the Cramps or B-52s , or you’re the Vines. Coconut Coolouts seem to worship at the feet of Fred Schneider and Lux Interior. The guitar awesomness and title of “32 Wives” seems to cast a glance the way of “52 Girls,” while “(Please Don’t Break Me Out Of) Party Jail” and it’s “I never thought that I’d have fun behind bars” intro is pure camp that either Fred or Lux would die for.

We’re doing all right with Party Time Machine, which is (as the title suggests) a party time record. When you throw your party, putting on a record such as this is priority one after stocking the tiki bar and getting the torches lit. It’s disposable, but worth listening to while you get hammered on rum drinks and witty banter. Big dumb fun with ’60s organ doesn’t come around all that often in a categorically cool fashion, so it’s nice to hear a record that – while not exactly plumbing the depths of the human psyche – manages to be more than just three chords and a scream.

(Please Don’t Break Me Out Of) Party Jail