[08.03] Remember fuckin' around during a high school summer? That three-month sunset when the only reason to collect a paycheck was to cover a new ratchet shifter for the 'Cuda? Hoppin' fences to sneak into a pool with Stacy, or to get away when the cops showed up at Troy's party? Well, so does New York's Puny Human, and their latest effort, It's Not the Heat, It's the Humanity, provides a near-perfect soundtrack for those golden days of shotgunning tallboys ´round back of the local arcade.

If this all sounds familiar, it should. All too many heavy rock bands have formed to praise all things Spicoli. While some, such as fuzz lords Fu Manchu, have managed to keep it interesting, many become monotonous; each song recycling the same images of cars, weed, girls and cars. What makes Puny Human different is a sense of surrealism coupled with a dynamite sense of humor.

As demonstrated repeatedly on It's Not the Heat…, Puny Human doff their cap to the standards of summertime stoner fun while simultaneously throwing them in the pool. While it's practically required for heavy bands to pay homage to '70s Detroit muscle, most approach it with grimacing bombast thicker than a Charger's exhaust. However, the first track, "Champagne Minivan," the band introduces us to the ultimate goofball party ride, complete with portable freezers, blenders and an in-dash lipstick holder. Other tracks, such as "Bare Knuckle Love" and "Kill You in the Face," continue the iconic parade of karate-chopping girls and bikers roaring into town, but with lyrical twists that inject daydream humor without introducing direct parody.

The sense of fun is maintained in the music as well. On "Even Now We Are Preparing to Love You," the guitarist actually sings "Ba da-da ba" over his own riff, perfectly anticipating what so many of us will do while alone in our cars. And unlike so many of their brethren, Puny Human opts not to use the big muff on every single track. The album begins with a two-minute guitar dance that conjures images of Diamond Dave cavorting about the Hollywood Bowl circa 1985.

But is it all fun and games? Not hardly. Following the comedic intro, "Minivan" drops a riff on your head as solid as anything Fu Manchu ever carved. Tracks such as "Greasin' the Wheel," "The Ox," and the space-crusher "B.I.B.L.E," are more than sufficient evidence that these guys can, indeed, rock ass. —Jeremy