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Lately, I’ve been wishing that I could go back to the ‘80s. It’s not because I miss stonewashed jeans or parachute pants or shoulder pads. And I definitely don’t miss the foot-high bangs. What I do miss, though, is the music. Back in the ‘80s, music could be fun. It could be silly and cheery and upbeat and goofy, and no one cared. We all just danced along. And while I was all about grunge and head-banging angst in the ‘90s, I’ve finally had my fill of music that makes me depressed. I’m getting just a little bit sick of whiny singers, moaning about everything that sucks.
So thank goodness for Junior Senior—because his Danish duo makes music fun again. Their songs mix every happy-go-lucky musical style from the ‘60s, ‘70s, and ‘80s. There’s the easy-going surfer pop of the ‘60s, the disco-funk sounds of the ‘70s (with a little bit of the Jackson 5 thrown in), and the happy hip-hop of the ‘80s. And while the sounds often vary quite widely (to the point that you may be surprised it’s all on one album), every beat of it is fun, danceable, and irresistibly cheery. The lo-tech, old-school sounds make the album a little bit cheesy (actually, it’s more than just a little bit cheesy), but it’s totally infectious—and it’ll leave you with a strong urge to dust off your old roller skates and head to the nearest skating rink.
On the first track, “Hello,” listeners are instructed to “Put on your pants, ‘cause you just might wanna dance.” And that couldn’t be closer to the truth. In fact, it’s absolutely impossible to listen to Hey Hey My My Yo Yo without cracking a smile—and possibly even jumping up and down.
There isn’t a single bad track on this album. They may vary in sound, but each one is as bouncy and fun as the last. My favorite, though, is “Take My Time,” a track featuring Kate Pearson and Cindy Wilson of the B-52s. But, then again, maybe it’s “Itch U Can’t Skratch.” Or maybe they’re all my favorite.
Also included with Hey Hey My My Yo Yo is a bonus EP, Say Hello, Wave Goodbye. The EP has a somewhat different sound—at times, a little more modern and techno—and it may take some getting used to after falling madly in love with Hey Hey. But it’s sure to grow on you after a listen or two, too.
Even if you put Hey Hey My My Yo Yo in your CD player on the dreariest of Mondays, it’ll only take a couple of tracks to get you moving. In fact, it could even be more effective than your morning cup of joe. By the time “Hip Hop a Lula” announces that there’s “too much good stuff out there to ignore,” you’ll have a smile on your face. And by the time you make it to the bubbly “Can I Get Get Get,” you’ll be busting a move in the shower. Just be careful not to jump around too much—or you might slip and break something.
If you, like me, have been mourning the Good Old Days, when music was happy and fun, don’t miss this refreshingly cheesy, addictively danceable album.
