The members of Dr. Pants have self-appointed the music they make as geek rock, so it’s not surprising that The Trip, Side 3: Watching the World End opens with a tune about the unsuccessful love life of a man who programs robot spiders that will destroy the human race. But relegating it to only geeks would be doing a grave disservice those not listening: these songs feature a musicianship and lyrical skill that far surpasses your average pop-rock band.
“Natalie” is a perfect example of both categories. Disguised as a late ’90s/early 2000s synth-pop-rock song (think “Flavor of the Weak”/”My Own Worst Enemy”/”The Middle”) is a pop song with a killer hook and strong lyrics that describe a girl playing hard to get. It’s not in the topic, it’s in the execution: the song is airtight, from the opening synth to the guitar solo to the rhythmic patterns in the lyrics to the outraged group vocals in the punchline. It’s just a fantastic tune.
“Dog -> Hurricane” is a lighthearted, acoustic-pop take on the Butterfly Effect; “No Funkies” is a goofy, white-funk retelling of the Good Samaritan. “Collections” is a fun instrumental track, while “I Am Yours” turns up the serious for a Collective Soul sort of tune. Oh, and “Robot Spiders”? It’s the most fun track on the album, telling a story and setting up a satisfying conclusion while throwing down an earworm of a chorus. You will want to hear that one again.
If you’re even remotely interested in sounds that came out of rock in the ’90s, you’ll be all up in The Trip, Side 3: Watching the World End. It’s funny, melodic, consistently witty yet varied; there’s a ton to love here and not that much to dislike– that is, unless you don’t like the ’90s. But man, “Lightning Crashes” “In the Garage” for me, so I’m totally on board with this.