The Ramones’ lasting legacy is the belief it instilled that anyone can be in a band — musicianship be damned. Sure, the New York legends wrote some of the greatest songs of a generation, but it was their lack of complexity which made them significant.
It’s been 37 years since the Bowery boys first graced the stage, but bands continue to follow in its footsteps. The latest Ramones reincarnation is a band from Queens called The Beets, a lo-fi trio with a garage vibe and song titles (“I Don’t Know,” “You Don’t Want Kids To Be Dead”) which harken back to the days of Joey, Johnny, Dee Dee and Tommy.
Behind the blithe observations of front man Juan Wauters, The Beets’ latest release, Let The Poison Out, showcases a band sauntering by with a series of uncomplicated yet catchy tunes. The band isn’t looking to make any musical statements, and it seems just fine with that.
The aforementioned “You Don’t Want Kids To Be Dead” opens Poison, a simple guitar jangle providing the bulk of the background while Wauters sings of 1969, Sid Vicious and Frankenstein in a tone best described as “muppet-like”. “Preso Voy” has Wauters whining in what appears to be Spanish-gibberish, while “Eat No Dick 3” (yes, actual title) is a stream-of-conscious interlude which feels like an accidental inclusion made on purpose.
Interspersed are sweet moments and quaint grooves, as Jose Garcia and Chie Mori help to flesh out Wauters prose. “Doing As I Do” sticks to the Beach Boys playbook musically (a harmonious gathering of voices) even if it doesn’t lyrically (“Don’t be afraid you will not die/And if you die, whatever”). “Let Clock Work,” the album’s best song, has the quirky charm best captured by the Violent Femmes.Let The Poison Out isn’t ambitious or groundbreaking, but it excels because it proves there is art in simplicity. Sometimes three chords is really all you need.
