Twisted Teens - Twisted Teens

Twisted Teens is the debut album from a New Orleans band that treats punk like a buffet, piling proto-punk, surf, country and pop onto the same wild plate.

The project is the brainchild of Cas P. Ian, the prolific DIY songwriter also behind folk-punk band Blackbird Raum, and it gathers a full band with acoustic and electric guitars, pedal steel, drums, bass and keys. Across eleven songs they bounce from proto-punk to post-punk to surf punk, with detours into folk and electronics, and never stay anywhere long enough to get comfortable.

Twisted Teen kicks things off with the band's chaotic spirit on full display, Marionette plays with a stranger, more theatrical side, The Valley Spirit Never Dies feels like a mystical detour, and Cool Former Friend closes the record on a wry, bittersweet note.

Part of the fun is never knowing what comes next. One track might lean on pedal steel twang, the next on jittery guitars or a pop hook that sneaks up from nowhere, all delivered with the loose, scrappy energy of a band that cares more about feeling than polish. It is the kind of debut that rewards curious listeners, especially anyone who enjoys punk with a sense of adventure and a sense of humour. Turn it up and let it pinball around the room.