The Presidents Of The United States of America - These Are The Good Times, People

There is a distinct, albeit thinly sliced, difference between party music and karaoke music, though both share the distinction of being music that is commonly known by a large swath of popular culture. Party music is designed so that the empty spaces at said party are filled with fun, recognizable, inoffensive sounds that people can bop their heads to and maybe sing along to if they choose. However, karaoke music must be, by definition, music that can be easily sung by average-voiced, fun-loving people, both drunk and sober. Party music can be good karaoke music, but not all karaoke music can be good party music - just because “Total Eclipse Of The Heart” and “Bohemian Rhapsody” are golden, classic pop songs doesn’t mean that they should be played at a party.

But then there are party bands, bands whose music is primarily suited for big, raucous, over-the-top soirees where the food, fluids, and frivolity are freely flowing. Everyone knows the lyrics, the lyrics contain little or no deep meaning, and the music is ridiculously upbeat, catchy, and ripe for ample air guitar playing. There is probably no other band in the past 15 years that can lay claim to the title of “The Best Party Band” than can The Presidents of the United States of America. With unforgettable ’90s jams like “Lump,” “Peaches,” and “Mach 5,” this crazy group made a name for themselves with a strong stage presence, a self-deprecating sense of humor, and the uncanny ability to write pop hooks that became lodged in your head for days.

So, after minor breaks from the road and studio to start and establish families, some hopping between record labels, and starting their own indie record label, the band has released what could be seen as a comeback album These Are The Good Time People. From the outset and as the album title indicates, the band seeks to give frat parties a fresh series of anthems, from “Mixed-Up S.O.B.,” an ode to a confusing ex-girlfriend serving as the group’s lead single with some college radio stations, “Ghosts Are Everywhere,” “Rot In The Sun,” and “Deleter.” These are rollicking, rocking rhythms that are seemingly destined to be playing in the background of shindigs of all sizes, whether in your backyard or in a teen move college dormitory. And like all party anthems of such ilk, they succeed because they have easily memorable, catchy hooks for choruses that people can’t help but sing together in large groups.

Nevertheless, drunken jams aside, what sets this album apart are the coterie of seemingly sweet, sensitive songs that catch the band possibly in the throes of re-branding. From the swing of “Flame In Love” and the quirky “Truckstop Butterfly” to the faux angst of “French Girl” and the cute metaphors of “Ladybug,” one is left to wonder if The Presidents are growing soft in their old age. However, the band quickly addresses such concerns in a way that both expresses their heart and their sense of humor: “More Bad Times” is a paean from a knight-in-shining-armor to his damsel-in-distress detailing how he wants to help her and be with her so badly that he wishes more awful events upon her so that he could come to her rescue.

Inevitably, These Are The Good Times People is an album that’s designed to be fun: there are no political themes here, and even the screed against tanning “Rot In The Sun” is jokey and hokey. So, while there might be more lower-key, mid-tempo cuts on this record than prior releases, The Presidents Of The United States remains a band that people with wacky senses of humor can enjoy along with frat boys - they’re egalitarian like that.