Something of a cross between standard-issue ska-punk and the ingenuous amateurism of some of the Lookout! Records bands, Japan's
Potshot are an unpretentious lot, seemingly uninterested in much beyond showing their listeners a good time. That helps
Rock 'n' Roll immensely, since this brand of jumpy, danceable dance music isn't exactly geared toward weightiness of topic. From the brief opening instrumental, "Sing Along With Potshot," to the untitled bonus acoustic song 13 tracks later,
Rock 'n' Roll powers along on a giddy wave of bouncy
Madness-style horns and the kind of bubblegummy pop-punk that tends to flit in one ear and out the other. Lead vocals that occasionally -- seemingly deliberately -- deteriorate into utter incomprehensibility add to the "don't think, just dance" vibe of the album. On that level, songs like "Trashy Talk," with its impossibly catchy chorus, work just fine. Listeners who require more from their
Rock 'n' Roll are advised to search elsewhere. ~ Stewart Mason