The Varsity Weirdos
High School Teen Party [7 inch] (2008)
SKAtepunk
Released last year on It's Alive Records, High School Teen Party is the second EP by Varsity Weirdos, and packs a ton of bounciness, enjoyment and general fun into a quick five minutes and 56 seconds.
Now to start off, it's pop-punk in the underground sense -- the Ramones, Screeching Weasel-esque punk that is always a good listen. Although it may have been done a thousand times over, the Weirdos bring in a sense of classic punk that we have not seen in a while so it seems fresh.
The title track is a very great way to start off the EP. An ode to having fun with your freinds, the song kicks in with a chant of
"High school teen party, high school TEEN PARTY!" Punchy drums and a simple bassline keep this track rolling, while the roaring guitars and simple lyrics don't really wow. This song is very descriptive of the EP itself -- flat, plain, fun pop-punk with nothing that causes the WOW factor.
"I Don't Go to Parties" is a don't-do-drugs-but-not-straight-edge track that is very simplistic. At 1:41, it's the shortest track on the disc. It's similar to a classic Descendents track -- the main point is, you don't include me, I don't care!
"Tiffany" is a very good song in its own right. The guitar on here is so Johnny Ramone it amazes me that they didn't credit the originators of punk in the liner notes, although the title character did get a shout-out. It's very similar to the first two tracks…okay, so the first three songs sound exactly the same. But this one does include a guitar solo, though be it a short one.
"Lost Control" is the closing track. It is the first hint of what the band may do in the future. IT'S ACCUALLY NOT THE SAME SONG AS THE FIRST SONGS! This one is a political song, very similar to the Too Tough to Die era and probably the best song on the EP because of it not the same three-chord pop-punk.
Overall, this EP is worth the money if you are into the recycled three-chord punk similar to Ramones, Screeching Weasel and the Steinways.