5.6.7.8's are a campy female Japanese rock & roll band that borrows heavily from
Shonen Knife's kitschy sense of humor, but not their buzzing, three-chord
Ramones homage. Instead,
5.6.7.8's follow the frenzied attack of pseudo-rockabilly punkers like
the Cramps, which makes their Americana lyrics all the stranger.
Bomb the Twist is a six-track EP that illustrates both the band's strengths -- namely, its sheer sonic power and occasionally catchy riffs -- and its flaws, particularly the reliance on bad jokes and the underdeveloped songwriting. For fans of ironic kitsch-punk,
Bomb the Twist is a blast, but it will wear out its welcome quite quickly for those who don't share the band's sense of humor. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine