Ooey Gooey Chewy Ka-Blooey!

You gotta hand it to The Dirtbombs’ Mick Collins. The guy gets visions, and he acts on them instead of filing them away in a musty corner of his cerebrum. Witness his nods to Detroit techno (Party Store), classic soul and R&B (Ultraglide in Black), and apocalyptic angst (We Have You Surrounded): works scattered in and among various EPs and LPs powered by The Dirtbombs’ own notable brand of garage punk. Calvin and Hobbes fans will recognize the title of Ooey Gooey Chewy Ka-Blooey!, the ‘Bombs' long-awaited “bubblegum tribute”; in truth it's about standout ‘60s pop just as much as it's about The Archies’ sticky treats. “We Come in the Sunshine” is nearly a parody of The Beach Boys’ “Good Vibrations,” and the oboe-inflected “Girl on the Carousel” hints at Merseybeat pining. The chugging, booty-shaking, cowbell-driven opener “Sugar on Top” has whiffs of The Who’s “Magic Bus,” while “Jump and Shout” lifts from Tommy James’s “Mony Mony.” But Ooey Gooey is also full of riffs and choruses reminiscent of Sweet, Ohio Express, and The Bay City Rollers; in fact, it’s the most fun we’ve had since The Dickies covered The Banana Splits.