There's probably a thousand bands in the Twin Cities alone that are mining this same vein-- 4 pc band with Lead Singer/Guitarist, Lead Guitar, Bass, Drums, playing what many refer to nowadays as "Replacements Rock." Funny, I hear Big Star. The Faces. Exile Stones. And The Kinks, especially in Aaron Pruitt's Ray Davies-esque plaintive delivery. Okay, maybe my touchstones are a bit more, er, uh, shall we say seasoned. But I really dig this disc. These guys have taken all of my personal fave rock elements and brewed them into a heady mix that delivers even after repeated listens. Good hooks that avoid dulling repetition. Brazen, unabashed emotion. Most noteworthy is the interplay between Pruitt's and Steve Dupuis' guitars. The dance and parrying between the two elevates the seemingly basic rhythms into a liquid lovecarpet of churning riffage and add9 jabs. Dupuis is no slouch in emotive guitar fills, and his tasty additions are perfectly placed. Drummer Brian Mondl and Bassist Jon Sawyer hold down the fort, natch, but their efforts are far beyond the typical 2/4 taptap-drone of many less experienced rhythm sections. Yeah, they can rock the house, but multidimensional dynamics seem to be what is driving this band van. Highest honors to one of the best discs I have reviewed this year!

-Dylan Ritalyn