The Buttertones // Gravedigging

The Buttertones

Gravedigging

Innovative Leisure 

4/5 stars

Full of 60s throwback madness, the junior release from The Buttertones is a frenetic and twisted party playlist for any decade. Like a Quentin Tarantino soundtrack in hyperdrive, the band delivers a nonstop barrage of evocative scenes. Building on the time-tested template of garage rock and surf tones, the Los Angeles quintet creates a mysterious and inviting aura. Singer and guitarist Richard Araiza has the chaotic theatricality of James Chance with just a drop of Jello Biafra thrown in, perhaps if he somehow wound up singing for the Ventures. The album starts off with the same downbeat pattern that made "London Calling" famous, marches in time and moves on. Immediately, you hear the growling saxophone of London Guzmån, who proves to be a vital secret ingredient that sets this album apart. The real beatnik dance party starts with "Sadie's a Sadist," its tongue-in-cheek title connoting the darkly playful nature of the album. Tracks like "Two Headed Shark" and the almost-titular "Gravediggin'" offer some of the most swinging tracks with their psychedelic, groovy shuffles. 

– Nick Warren