Poeck It! [Twang]

A nine-song EP originally released on lemon yellow 10" vinyl (it came out on CD after the German arm of Sony signed the Lemonbabies later in 1994), Poeck It! is more than a little reminiscent of the self-titled Bangles EP from 1982: girl-groupisms like the Shangri-Las-style dialogue break in the opening "Hey, Come On" mix with garage-punky tunes like the appropriately snotty "Don't Mind! Don't Care! Don't Want To!" and the spunky "Wonderin' How." Both the recording quality and the quartet's musicianship are leaps and bounds ahead of the Lemonbabies' previous two EPs; new recordings of the old tunes "Maybe Someday" (which, like the moody "Telephone" and the almost jazzy "Sunshine Blues," is rendered completely a capella, to an effect like Martha and the Vandellas singing madrigals) and "I Want It All" positively shred the originals, and, of the newer songs, "Hey, Come On" and "I Know, I Know" are exceptional power pop along the lines of the Muffs' catchiest songs. Those who know the Lemonbabies primarily through their electronia-influenced late-'90s albums will be surprised, but Poeck It! is ultra-catchy guitar pop.