It takes a lot of gumption to call your band
the World, but the Oakland dance-punk quartet pull it off on their debut album,
First World Record. Their songs are short and spiky blasts of post-punk energy that sound like
Delta 5 crossed with
X-Ray Spex, only with some garage rock in the DNA. A couple songs, like the romping "Cool," come off a bit like a low-rent
Rezillos, and that's a very good thing. The band has a whip-crack rhythm section that pushes the songs forward like arrows shot from a bow, the scratchy guitars manage to be abrasive and melodic at once, the vocals are a perfect blend of tough and tender, and the dual saxophone attack serves almost like a second rhythm section (they don't go in for solos much, but instead stay in the mix like a honking and squawking chorus).
The World make the kind of music that practically compels feet to hit the dancefloor, and as much fun as the album is, the band is probably twice as much fun on a live stage. They certainly bring a live energy to the songs; you can almost hear the sound of sweat droplets hitting the floor as they whip through whirlwind-inducing tracks like the wiry "Hot Shopper" and the pummeling "Chet Baker."
The World pack a lot of punch into their short songs and
First World Record is an absolute joy to listen to, even if you have no idea of the sources from which they are copping all their moves. ~ Tim Sendra