Chixdiggit! – Safeways Here We Come

Fresh off a six year hiatus, Calgary’s Chixdiggit! have returned with their seven track/seventeen minute EP Safeways Here We Come. It may have been a lengthy wait, but these four Canadians have delivered a classic pop-punk EP that fits as the true, perfect definition of the style.

Fast, snotty, nasally and immature – Safeways Here We Come is equal parts Descendents, Ramones, Nerf Herder and Screeching Weasel all in one. Vocalist K.J. Jansen sounds unlike anyone else in the scene at the moment. It’s a fact that some people may nt cherish – his nasally delivery can be grating at times – but they also serve as a point of great relief with their sheer distinctiveness.

Completely immune to the outside world, Chixdiggit! tackle as many nonsense topics as they possibly can, like Nerf Herder but without as much nerd-rock thrown in there. The songs are comical and light hearted with the potential to sound utterly ridiculous, but Chixdiggit! pull it off. Whether they’re detailing their hatred of a certain sport (I Hate Basketball) or retelling their tales of lust with the insightful and eye opening lyrical couplet of “I’m hot and horny in Calgary/And I’m ready to fuck tonight/Ready to fuck tonight/Ready to fuck tonight” (the 44 second Hot N Horny), Chixdiggit! do it all with charm and likeability – a feat that so many bands seem to fail at conveying these days.

Since You Got A Dog blasts through with crunchy power chords and catchy melodies about a friend’s hated new dog.  Swedish Rat is one of the longer cuts on the album at just over three minutes and is an unusual ode to an unusual haircut. It has both the greatest guitar flourish on the album and a rousing chant of “Oh! Ah!” for good measure.

Yes, these are dumb songs but man are they fun and enjoyable.  I remember when Farewell released their Epitaph debut called “Isn’t This Supposed To Be Fun?” and I thought to myself how boring and un-fun that album was.  Chixdiggit! are fun and satisfactory, enabling you to mindlessly sing along for hours.

Pop-punk bands, take note.