Los Pepes: Los Pepes For Everyone

Ramones live on in spirit.

By Emma Johnston
( Classic Rock )
published

You can trust Louder Our experienced team has worked for some of the biggest brands in music. From testing headphones to reviewing albums, our experts aim to create reviews you can trust. Find out more about how we review.

Los Pepes were formed two years ago by ex-Winnebego Deal frontman Ben Perrier and Japanese punk Seisuke Nakagawa, and their entirely lovable debut album is perkier than a cheerfully outdated reference to a squeaky-voiced marionette pig.

They wear their love of the Ramones and Phil Spector’s 60s girl groups on their leather sleeves, approaching each effervescent, infectious, adorable song with the tripping-over-itself enthusiasm of a labrador puppy chasing a squirrel.

I Just Don’t Know and Modern Life nod to the pop-punk of the Buzzcocks, and even at their most “I don’t need anyone else, so there” agro on Guilty Pleasures, there’s still a spoonful of sugar sprinkled on top.

Power pop of the highest wattage, Los Pepes For Everyone is 35 minutes of pure joy, arriving just in time to light up the winter./o:p

Emma Johnston

Emma has been writing about music for 25 years, and is a regular contributor to Classic Rock, Metal Hammer, Prog and Louder. During that time her words have also appeared in publications including Kerrang!, Melody Maker, Select, The Blues Magazine and many more. She is also a professional pedant and grammar nerd and has worked as a copy editor on everything from film titles through to high-end property magazines. In her spare time, when not at gigs, you’ll find her at her local stables hanging out with a bunch of extremely characterful horses.