If you’re a fan of good ‘ole fashioned garage rock and you haven’t familiarized yourself with Nashville’s Turbo Fruits, than you really are missing out. Though they originally began as a side project for a couple members of teen punk sensations Be Your Own Pet, Turbo Fruits took off pretty quick thanks to Thurston Moore putting out their first album, and have since become one of the best things to grace rock ‘n’ roll from a place generally considered to pump out country music.
Simply put, Butter is rock ‘n’ roll in its most pure form – fun, wild, raw, and energetic. It combines sounds of the past with modern ideas, putting an almost classic rock spin on current garage rock. Though the band is still youngsters, they play like seasoned vets here while maintaining a youthful spirit.
“Where The Stars Don’t Shine” gets the festivities started, and it sounds like the theme song to a reckless house party. The drums pound and the riffs are charged and it’s apparent very early that this one’s going to be a wild ride. “Don’t Like To Fight” follows soon after and has Turbo Fruits flexing their muscles. It’s a stadium large track with distorted guitar work and one of the best moments on Butter. Toward the middle, “Colt 45” has a more surf rock feel, while “Harley Dollar Bill$” shows they can pen a power pop tune with the best of them. “Sweet Thang” sounds like The Strokes on Prozac, and “She Said Hello” is their version of a ballad. The final track, “Ain’t The Only One Havin’ Fun,” picks up the pace again, the band exiting on a blazing, restless anthem.
In the grand tradition of all things rock, the band keeps the lyrics easy to digest, with songs about drinking, gambling, bar fights – you know, all the trappings of the rock ‘n’ roll lifestyle. Make no mistake, though, despite the carefree stories of spontaneous fun, the band took careful measures to make this album and it shows.
