At ten years old, sometime in the Summer of 1995 (or maybe ‘96), I purchased the self-titled debut album from The Presidents of the United States of America. Seeing as I bought this CD myself, it must have been with the last remaining funds from my birthday in March. Up until that point, my music library was strictly cassette based; a collection of cassingles (I don’t remember ever calling them that…) and home radio recordings.

Cassette singles were a wonderful gateway into pop music. Unlike full albums, they could be had for only $1.99, a much easier proposition for my parents. And they were just the hits, only the songs I really liked. A kind of all-killer, no-filler library that was immensely satisfying. This was before a few ill-advised CD purchases taught me to wait until the second single was released before dropping $20 on an unproven band. Oh, and this is why 45s were such a thing!

But before I made those poor lapses in judgment (Harvey Danger), I did luck out on my first CD purchase, PUSA. This would also be my foray into alternative rock, which would be the mainstay of my teen years. Lump hooked me. I was drawn to the band’s fast, upbeat, playful sound. I mean, I don’t know; I wasn’t really analyzing music when I was ten. But I do remember the pop-rock landscape being dominated by heavier, more dreary bands. PUSA seemed more like Saturday morning cartoons, whereas NIN seemed like the dry Meet The Press that marked the end of Saturday morning fun.

I played the hell out of that CD. With a run-time of just 36 minutes, that was enough to keep my attention the whole way through. Also, they seemed to sing a lot about animals and bugs for some reason. But eventually, my tastes changed, and as I swayed back towards hip-hop, I drifted away from PUSA. I think that original CD was sold at a yard sale some 15 years ago. I haven’t heard the album again since.

Which brings me to today. While mindlessly surfing YouTube, the God algorithm shined down on me and recommended I give Lump a watch. The simple chords and effective drums hit my nostalgia bone like a warming cup of hot cocoa. Within minutes, I downloaded the album and loaded it back onto my iPod. Could you really go home? In this instance, absolutely. Every lyric came rushing back to me in an instant. With every drum-stick count-off, I immediately remembered the track name without having to look down at a display. And all the animal references were as funny and poignant as ever. Once more, I realized they’re often singing about sex and drugs…right?

And then I remembered that some of the tracks really, really rock. Lump, Peaches, and We Are Not Going to Make It aren’t just anthems; they can be ways of life. And their version of Kick Out The Jams spoiled me to the original. Why weren’t they the biggest band in the world? I want to think that the music was too fun for a time when people were trying to be too cool. And were their follow-up records just as good? I do remember the song Mach 5, but that’s about it. I am excited to dive into the rest of their catalog and seeing where that takes me.