How have we not reviewed this CD? More to the point, how have we not reviewed any Diesel Boy? They’ve released a few records on Honest Don’s and while never being spectacular, have always been consistently solid. For me, ‘Sofa King Cool’, originally released in 1999, is a great little record and arguably the band’s best. While it doesn’t contain a song the quality of ‘Titty Twister’, it does have a stack of tracks which beg to be played loud.
While there are a couple of filler tracks here, there are a few absolute beauties. ‘Melanie Banks Where Can You Be?’ is a really strong opening song – vocally Diesel Boy are distinctive, but it sets the tone for plenty of catchy melodies and hummable choruses. Infact, there are a stack of clever songs that are both witty and catchy – something The Vandals lost about four years ago. ‘She’s My Queen’ and ‘From The Used Bin’ are fantastic mind, the lyrics on the latter especially so. Even a cover version of ‘Punk Rock Girl’ goes down a treat.
Fans of The Vandals and Nerf Herder will lap Diesel Boy up, and while they may have gone quiet in recent years, this record serves as a reminder that late 90s EpiFat pop-punk is still as fun as it was at the time. ‘Venus Envy’ was also a good record, but I feel ‘Sofa King Cool’ nicks it in the quality stakes.
Honest Don’s
Paul