TacocaT,

NVM (2/25, Hardly Art Records, tacocatdotcom.com)

Listening to Seattle-based pop-punk act TacocaT, it’s kind of hard not to have a great fucking time. Maybe it’s the band’s brash garage-rock sensibility. Or its hilariously honest lyrics about surfing the crimson wave. Or the make-you-smile-while-you-dance pop arrangements. It’s the combination of all these that make it equally confusing and completely understandable when TacocaT describes itself as both “feminist sci-fi” and “equal parts Kurt and Courtney.” The trend continues on the quartet’s new release, which strikes gold with a mixture of cupcake-meets-hot mess, resulting in a lo-fi, high-energy collection of songs that make you feel as if you can live in a world of multicolored glitter and gumdrops while continuing to be a badass. High points include “Crimson Wave” (for its laughable, and all too true, description of that monthly visit with Aunt Flo) and “Alien Girl,” for its killer guitar intro, doo-wop-meets-garage-pop delivery, and cheeky opening line “I don’t like your dad/Your dad don’t like me.” Elsewhere, the music is as sweet and sticky as the album cover suggests—a field of gumballs. Chew it up. (2/14, Chop Suey)