ARTIST: Imperial Teen 
TITLE: Seasick
YEAR RELEASED: 1996
CHART ACTION: None
SINGLES: Imperial Teen, Butch, You’re One
OTHER SONGS YOU MAY KNOW: Oh, no.
LINEUP: Rodney Bottum, Will Schwartz, Jone Stebbins, Lynn Truell
WHAT’S IT ALL ABOUT: Power-pop influenced band celebrates music and pop culture in a great hummable mix.
SOME WORDS, PHRASES AND CLAUSES ABOUT THIS RECORD: The first three songs set the tone for Imperial Teen as a band – “Water Boy” is a hard-edged power pop song with an infectious chorus shouting “Bow down baby…bow down to me”. “Imperial Teen” is a quieter meditation that doesn’t make sense, not even “If I only had another hand / I’d cut it off and start a band”.
Then there’s “Butch”, a true power-pop song worthy of the Posies that’s rooted in gay culture with a great chorus line, “You like strawberries / I like you.”
All through this album are enjoyable melodies and enough rock to satisfy. It seems slight, and sometimes not all the way thought out – they were only together six months before recording this – but if you’re a power pop lover it’s worthy.
NOTES & MINUTIAE: Rodney Bottum was / is in Faith No More and drummer Lynn Truell was in Sister Double Happiness.
IS THERE A DELUXE VERSION: No
GRADE: A-: The more you play it, the more the songs sink in and reveal its charms.
