X: “See How We Are”
This was the last studio release for LA’s first “literary” punk band before breaking up, and that’s exactly what it sounds like. It’s more fun than not, but man is it inconsistent: “Surprise Surprise” kicks down the front door to remind us why we loved this band in the first place, and “4th of July” practically swaggers its way off the damn vinyl. But the good tracks also brush up against some pretty forgettable late-1980s dross here and there (I’m thinking specifically of the droopy, plodding title track). One thing’s for sure, it’s not punk, but that’s okay because neither am I.
