Bad Sneakers and a Piña Colada

Bad Sneakers and a Piña Colada is the second album on which HARDCORE SUPERSTAR laid drunken-sounding choruses and dirty guitar over short, energetic songs. Without hiding youthful impulse, the playing that chose immediacy over refinement feels good. Inheriting the debut’s momentum, it is a record that pushed the band’s personality further. On “Hello/Goodbye,” “Punk Rock Song” and “Rock'N'Roll Star,” they add a more street-side roughness while borrowing an 1980s hard-rock feel. Songs like “Liberation,” “Someone Special” and “Bubblegum Ride” breathe an early rough appeal too. A momentum-driven sound mixing punk and glam is wide open. With strong vitality as the band’s starting point, it is an exhilarating record.