The debut from pop punks the Potato Bugs is as repetitious as beer-drinking and lovemaking. But since nearly every track of this nine-song, 18-minute disc revolves around getting drunk, getting high, or getting some, the redundancy is apt.

Besides, by titling the disc It’s All the Same, it’s not as if this trio is putting on any airs about its snotty, snarling rock and roll. Attitudinal vox, bratty guitar, and a heart-pounding pace mark most of the tunes, which explore such time-honored themes as getting into fights and digging through the trash for alcohol. Warrant guitarist Billy Morris drops by for backing vocals on “The Potato Bug Anthem,” which also features a touch of keys, and a brief acoustic interlude opens the bittersweet “Possibilities.” Other than that, these dudes don’t let up on the gas or the Budweiser.

This article appears in Oct 13-19, 2004.