Jesus Christ Superfly

Jesus Christ Superfly

I Don't Wanna Be Crazy (Chicken Ranch)

A lot has changed since Jesus Christ Superfly first preached punk rock in Austin clubs 14 years ago. As multiple generations of next big things have come and gone, guitarist Rick Carney and bassist Ron Williams have stayed on course with only a few subtle tweaks. Accordingly, I Don't Wanna Be Crazy picks up right where 1996's Texas Toast left off. Longtime fans will note a shift from the grunge-leaning heft of early Superfly standards like "Big Shit" to a more direct punk assault reminiscent of Too Tough to Die-era Ramones. Like da bruddas circa 1984, JCSF sound angry but resigned and proud to be musically marginalized lifers. Growling opener "Twisted Up Inside" sets the tone with a contrarian hardcore celebration of uncertainty and inner turmoil. The title track, once performed by the Pocket FishRmen during Williams' tenure in that band, strives to be a buzz-saw anthem about the battle for self-assuredness, while Carney's "Action Girl" aims below the waist with a nod toward Estrus-flavored garage noise. Never shy about paying homage to their forbears, the trio trots out well-chosen covers of Roy Head's "Treat Her Right" and the Ramones' "She's the One." The latter closes out this fast-moving missive on a hopeful note. Beneath the swagger of 1-2-3-4-Go, there's a big, juicy heart lurking.