Teenage Tom Petties – Rally The Tropes

This may come as a shock to you, but Teenage Tom Petties are not teenagers. They’re not even related to Tom Petty. And they weren’t even a de facto band until fairly recently.Originally formed as an outlet for Tom Brown’s (Rural France, Lone Striker) punkier compositions, TTP are now a transatlantic group with an obvious fondness for a pun. While titles like “Teenage Thin Lizzies” suggest an element of self-deprecation, Rally The Tropes isn’t an entirely unserious offering.

Safe Suburban Home has an impressive track record (Stuart Pearce, Cowgirl, the wonderful Autocamper), and this mini-album will only enhance the label’s burgeoning reputation further. On riotous blasts like “Hotmail” and “Faculty,” TTP fuse the spirit of Slanted and Enchanted-era Pavement with the chord progressions of vintage Fountains of Wayne. Brown’s wonderfully British sense of humour adds a delightful finishing touch.

“American Breakfast” reminds me of power pop legends The Records, while the raucous finale “East Coast Comebacks” echoes one of Glasgow’s finest ‘90s bands, Urusei Yatsura. Elsewhere, you can hear everything from The Buzzcocks to Weezer. And, of course, Guided By Voices.

As fun as it is to play spot the influence, though, when a record is as outrageously fun as Rally The Tropes, it starts to compromise the enjoyment. A far better approach is to indulge your inner teenager; give in to Brown’s soaring choruses, delight in those ostentatious guitar flourishes, and get on board with Teenage Tom Petties. It won’t change the world, but for its 18-minute runtime, it’ll certainly brighten the corners.

Rally The Tropes is out now via Safe Suburban Home.