HorrorPops -- Kiss Kiss Kill Kill

I've always been a sucker for Scandinavian punk. I mean, Ebba Gron's 1978-1982 anthology was probably the first real punk rock record I ever owned, so I hold a certain reverence for bands hailing from the Nordic lands. Years after I first got a hold of that cassette, towards the end of my high school career when I lived in Norway, I started seriously exploring the Scandinavian indie scene, discovering Turbonegro, Flying Crap, Kjott, Captain Not Responsible, Slobax, Satanic Surfers, Adhesive, and a slew of other awesome groups. Strangely, though, Denmark's HorrorPops didn't pop up on my radar until "Going to the Disco?" went into heavy rotation on the Sirius Punk channel a few months ago. And, boy, what a band to miss.

Equal parts pop punk, new wave, rockabilly, and surf punk, HorrorPops evoke images of the Cramps, Groovie Ghoulies, and Misfits while somehow managing not to sound even remotely derivative. With Patricia Day plucking away at her custom upright bass and playing the part of the tattooed femme fatale to a T, HorrorPops look about as cool as they sound. For lovers of bass-driven rock, especially, Kiss Kiss Kill Kill is a fantastically eerie, delightfully moody album foregrounding one of the more neglected instruments in punk.

Highlights:

Track 1. "Thelma & Louise." If that dreadful Crossroads movie found inspiration in this song, there's a good chance it would have been cool.

Track 4. "Heading for the Disco?" Hilariously snarky lyrics about a Bret Michaels-obsessed club goer sung snottily over a a great psychobilly bassline.

Track 5. "Kiss Kiss Kill Kill." The ghost of Pat Benatar (though, Benatar's status as a living person suggests "ghost" mightn't be the the best word) seems to haunt this strangely eighties-sounding song.

Track 7. "Hitchcock Starlet." A beautiful ballad showcasing the more melodic range of Day's seductive voice. In fact, I can't help but think Nick Cave would have wanted to do a duet with Day on Murder Ballads had he heard this song before heading to the studio.

Track 9. "HorrorBeach Pt. II." A masterfully creepy surfpunk song.

Track 11. "Keep My Picture!" Another of Day's sultrier vocal performances.

Sobriquet Grade: 89 (B+).