Straitjacket
"Modern Thieves"
TKO

Eight years ago Straitjacket would have been written off as another Screeching Weasel, snot-nose punk, rip-off band. But today is a different time, and Straitjacket are a refreshing break from the canned punk crap being served up to kids.

Straitjacket are often compared to the '77 era punk bands like Stiff Little Finger and the Clash, but much of the sound of "Modern Thieves" sounds like the mid-90s Lookout! Records scene. The sloppy-yet-cool guitar solos come off like an homage to Joe Queer and the vocals sound like a cross between Ann Beretta and Ben Weasel. This is all a good thing.

"Modern Thieves" is a completely stripped down record, but not a weak album. The drums are solid on tunes like "Legendary Failure" and "We Wanna Know," and the bass follows the distorted guitars like most traditional punk bands. Three cheers for skipping the sing along choruses—Bands need to leave that for the kids at the live shows.

Reviewed by: George Koroneos
Reviewed on: May 3, 2005