Benny The Jet Rodriguez - Home. Run. (Recess Records)

Three chords and a couple joints, that’s all you need to make a decent rock record these days. At least it is for the San Pedro, CA group Benny The Jet Rodriguez. This self-proclaimed “pot punk” band’s debut Home. Run. is a solid slab of indie fuzz pop that is unsophisticated in the best possible way, and eminently listenable to boot.

In addition to weed, they also love baseball. Benny The Jet Rodriguez is a character from the movie The Sandlot, and the record starts with a quote from A League of Their Own (“Are you crying? There’s no crying in baseball!”). But there’s a lot more than baseball going on under the surface. Home. Run. is also the name of the first and last tracks. They share a chorus and it’s the key to understanding the record: “Stay, close to home / Run”. The line has nothing to do with baseball; it’s about the confusion and anger that leads to contradictory thoughts in the wake of a failed relationship. Singer Lauren Freeman sings every song in the second person, directly to her ex, and the frustration in her voice is palpable- sometimes sad and other times mad. The specific little personal details that she relates, a la Paul Westerberg or Jeff Mangum, make these songs three dimensional, and the choruses are catchy and hummable.

All this over a garage pop soundtrack of thick, scuzzy guitars, shimmering open hi-hat beats with lots of tom tom action, and an organ that would sound equally at home during a seventh inning stretch. The songs all sound like first takes with the occasional sloppy transition, and the result is immediate and visceral. This is a ripping rock and roll record that has the bounce of California punk and the drama of D.C. emo.

http://bennythejetrodriguez.bandcamp.com/