The Phenomenauts

For All Mankind

[3/5]

Remember when boxes of cereal came with plastic ray guns and decoder rings stashed in the bottom? Sure, millions of kids probably ingested trace amounts of lead, and more than one probably accidentally swallowed the whole toy–but the Phenomenauts appear to have ingested a few dozen. Channeling the dork-rock legacy of Devo, this Bay Area fivesome could’ve composed the soundtrack to Electrical Engineers Gone Wild. Beyond the fact that the album artwork folds out into a rocket ship and the lyrics sound like the chronicles of a group of 12-year-olds learning how to launch model rockets, For All Mankind has an upbeat musical charm that will satisfy fans of the old Lookout! Records style perfected by Screeching Weasel and the Queers. This one won’t find itself on a wealth of end-of-year lists, but it’s a nice holdover while the world awaits another Aquabats record. (SILVER SPROCKET) Kevin Wade