After the release of their debut album Start Static (2001), Sugarcult found their way into the daily humming repertoires of thousands of fans. With their irresistible melodies and hard-to-forget tracks Sugarcult continues their pop-happy success on their new album: Palm Trees And Power Lines.

The melodic combination of raspy crooning by vocalist Tim Pagnotta and sweet running guitar lines by Sugarcult’s guitarist (concisely named "Marko 72") carry the new album throughout the sundry of tracks.

Sugarcult’s powerful, bouncy, and energetic style, which headlined their debut album has carried over to Palm Trees And Power Lines. Fortunately, as with their debut album, there is a wide array of style and tempos incorporated.

Tracks like "Crying" and "Memory" are the more mainstream, typical yet catchy, chorus-driven power-pop songs were first popularized by Nirvana and their Nevermind (1991) release. However other tracks like "Back to California" and "Sign off" carry a more subdued and calmed sound.

Working with former The Goo Goo Dolls producer Gavin Mackillop, the band has crafted a great sound that is neither harsh nor overpowering. Wisely and tastefully, the two strong points of the band, vocal melodies and guitar lines, are mixed over and above the rather lackluster bass and drum tracks.
The band’s refreshing melodies and song-structure rise above that of many other "so-so" groups of the same genre. The combination of meaningful lyrics and intelligently placed guitar parts set Sugarcult apart.

Many of the punk bands on the norm have a biting tendency to over-distort their guitar tracks. Sugarcult avoids this common mistake and it definitely helps the vocals of Pagnotta to shine through brilliantly.

Unlike many of the vocalists that have come through the popular music scene, Pagnotta actually annunciates the words in his songs, while still keeping tone and pitch perfectly.
Having the opportunity to clearly listen to and enjoy the lyrics adds enormously to the album as a whole. "Back to California", is touching narrative-like tribute to a significant other. "Leaving all the fights and all/ Summer’s getting colder/ Drive all night to hold you tight/ Back to California "

"Sign off" is a touching ballad about struggles with suicide. "Wake up all alone/ sending postcards back to home/ on the road/ nobody can save me/ nobody can say what I’ll do if I’m alone" The topics that the band touches off on are typical of a punk-pop-alternative band, ranging from breakups to depression.

Thankfully, Sugarcult’s catchy radio-ready vocal melodies are complemented by a competent guitarist ("Marko 72") at the helm. After having listened to many a punk album, many appreciators are left without one of the main components of true American rock and roll: guitar solos. However, Sugarcult reminds us that some punk-rock is real rock and roll, not to be quickly written off.
Sugarcult is not just another product of Southern California, with the same powerchords and monotonous guitar parts. The band is a diverse, catchy, yet powerful band whose lasting impression is impressive. The number of copies sold should be considered doubled because each listener will have the chorus of every song on this album stuck in his or her head for quite some time. Sugarcult’s sophomore release, Palm Trees and Power Lines, is a tribute to that.