On its first two records, White Reaper’s garage punk garnered comparisons to Ty Segall and Jay Reatard, but those really in the know recognized the Kentuckians as the spiritual successors to the Marked Men. Both bands made joyful, memorable pop music in the guise of grainy, fuzz-toned punk rock. Though it will initially elicit double takes, The World’s Best American Band is a logical next step for the group, one that largely leaves punk in the rearview in favor of glam, power pop and ’80s Sunset Strip. The result is a raucous party of a record that should play well to the fist-pumping cheap seats. The title track nicks its aesthetic from Big Star’s “In The Streets” (the Cheap Trick version), “Judy French” is teenage summer nights in audio form, and “Tell Me” boasts a guitar strut lascivious enough to warrant a parental advisory warning. Yes, this album is a turophile’s dream, but only the most black-hearted cynic could resist joining the party.
—Matt Ryan
