Puddle of Mudd
'Volume 4: Songs in the Key of Love & Hate'
Wes Scantlin does In Utero like Ron Jeremy.
Like zillions of other bands over the past two decades, Puddle of Mudd pay obvious sonic homage to Nirvana on their fourth long-player, nowhere more so than in lead single "Spaceship," which could be a jock-jam version of "About a Girl."
When it comes to his lyrics, though, frontman Wes Scantlin takes inspiration from less high-minded sources: "All night long I been thinking 'bout how to get your panties on the floor," he sneers over a tightly coiled post-grunge riff, "So let's get it over and just get naked."
Volume 4 rarely gets classier (or fresher) than that, but working here with Hinder producer Brian Howes, Scantlin does flex an undeniable knack for catchy-fuzzy hard-rock tunes that waste no time giving up their goods. Dude's as efficient in the studio as he is in the bedroom.
LISTEN: Puddle of Mudd, "Spaceship"
