The Fat Angel Sings

http://

A note to potential listeners please don’t be put off by the name of Metalmania,the debut LP from New Zealand three-piece Salad Boys: the titular affliction is nowhere to be found. Album opener “Here’s No Use” is a quiet, rocking beauty. From there, Salad Boys usher in crashing cymbals and playful guitar solos with the up-tempo lead single (and pop-rock gem) “Dream Date.” The album goes from lovely to raucous and back again with each track. In terms of presentation, everything about Metalmania is veiled in irony: the band name is an inside joke between its members, the title has nothing to do with the contents, and the album cover is a pastel throwback. Once you get past all that—and it’s worth your while to do so—Salad Boys’ garage-rock roots and myriad pop hooks can be enjoyed in earnest. By the time closing song “First Eight” rolls around, “metal” starts to sound a lot like “mellow.”