Power Punk Arena Glam Rock. Or Something.

 

By Stewart Dowouis

There have been a handful of records produced in my lifetime that have been so masterfully crafted from conception to presentation that it’s hard for me to wrap my head around the fact that mere humans were responsible for their creation. It’s hard to imagine anything other than them falling from the sky in final form. Think Appetite for Destruction. Jellyfish’s Spilt Milk. Born to Run. Two Steps from the Move. That totally obscure but jaw-droppingly insane Aviary record from ‘79. 

And Tsar. 

I’ve probably listened to Tsar’s fantastic debut album no less than two hundred times since its release in 2000, and my reaction has been the same each and every time: “Sugar sweet glam rock. Superbly executed garage rock. Refined punk rock. Dive bar arena rock. Power pop turned up to 10. Criminally under appreciated. Classic. HOW DID THEY DO THIS?!”

I’ve attempted to describe this record to folks in the past, and I can never quite do it justice. It always results in me throwing around superfluous adjectives and ending with “I have no idea how they did it.” But honestly…that’s the beauty of it. It’s more than some random music nerd’s opinion. It’s an album so fun…so saccharine…that it should simply be experienced and enjoyed on its own merit. 

This year marks the 25th anniversary of this superb piece of art, and the fine folks over at Omnivore Recordings have graciously given us its very first vinyl release. I’ll spare any further attempts to explain what it sounds like here. Hit up your favorite streaming service and give it a go. Then hit up our website (www.22soundrecords.com) and grab a physical copy before it’s gone for good.