Merge Records release Beyond the Door, the new LP from Redd Kross. The album title is a reference to an Italian horror film which was a loose rip-off of both The Exorcist and Rosemary’s Baby. Inspirations here are as varied as K-pop, glitter gangs, embarrassed tweens, long-term relationships, a mysterious character named Fantástico Roberto, and much more...

It's interesting that the press notes for Beyond the Door mentions that the title comes from a movie that's a "rip-off" of The Exorcist and Rosemary's Baby. The press notes don't mention the numerous "borrowed" riffs and snippets from other songs - but you'll spot them.

I could help wondering if the band had a wonderful tongue in cheek approach here, with a nod and a wink to those who read between the lines. The press release states: "Beyond the Door is an album inspired by the band’s 'total commitment to having the best f*cking time we can have while we’re all still here' (what they like to call 'the Party').

The fact they like to call this "the Party" explains the album's opening track... er... 'The Party'. However, while the band seem to have come up with the phrase "the Party", there's no mention of the fact that the album opens with the band's take on Henri Mancini's 'The Party' theme from the 1968 Peter Sellers movie The Party...

And, from this point on listen out for familiar snippets from other songs. For example 'There's No One Like You' opens with a riff that is the same as The Clash's 'Should I Stay or Should I go?'... 'Jone Hoople' could have so easily have been a Cheap Trick song... I'll leave the rest for you to figure out yourself.

For me, these little touches make it a more interesting album. In fact on a first play through it feels vaguely familiar. Diversity is another plus point here. From track to track you never know which genre you're going to be visiting. Pop, punk, indie rock or '60s pop.

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Nick Smithson