They’ve been a mainstay on the Fat Wreck Chords band roster since 1996, and yet after a seven-year hiatus and the recent departure of their bassist Spike Slawson, Swingin’ Utters have followed up their 2011 release Here, Under Protest with Poorly Formed. This new full-length LP is the first to feature new bassist Miles Peck and marks the band’s eighth studio album.

To be honest, I let this one spin in my car’s CD player for a good week, rarely hitting the “next track” button. The opening track, “Librarians Are Hiding Something,” is catchy as hell and sets that bait that hooks you in for the entire 14-track ride. Musically speaking, there’s a really fine line walked here, with the sound being just polished enough to sound really nice and rough enough on the edges to lay true to the street punk sound the Utters are known for.

“Greener Grass” hits with their ode to that Celtic sound, mixing an acoustic guitar bed with Johnny Bonnel’s rough-edged vocals. “Temporary Contemporary” is one of my personal favorites on Poorly Formed, as it may be one of the most straightforward and simple cuts on the album, but the guitar hook and vocals — especially during the chorus — really hits it home. “I’m a Little Bit Country” and “Military Barbara Billingsley” provide the lyrically comical and satirical element, and things end on a very mellow and unexpected note with acoustic cut “Sevita Sing.”

One small criticism of this album is regarding the vocal effects placed on Bonnel’s vocals on the title cut and the song “Brains” with what I can only call “Mike Ness echo effect.” This effect on the vocals does nothing but make the vocalist sound like Ness. Perhaps that’s my own personal irritation, since I’m not a Social D fan and really don’t care for Mike Ness’s vocals. But otherwise, this album is near flawless from beginning to end. A solid effort that’s truly enjoyable to listen to over and over.

(Fat Wreck Chords, 2196 Palou Ave., San Francisco, CA 94124)

SNUFF – 5-4-3-2-1…Perhaps?

Sometimes I’ll hear a band, pick up an album, enjoy it, and plan to dive deeper into their discography but never get the chance. This is the case with Snuff. I own Tweet Tweet My Lovely and fully love the hell out of it. But in the mix of finding new music and sticking with standards, I never checked out their older or newer material.

That’s why I’m stoked to be reviewing  5-4-3-2-1 Perhaps? Musically, I find their sound to be quite interesting and innovative. Mixing heavily drummed punk rock, melodic (yet hard-hitting) guitars, Hammond organ, and a single trombone, Snuff’s sound is extremely distinctive and bold. And then there’s drummer and vocalist Duncan Redmonds’ vocals — perhaps the most noticeable attribute to Snuff’s sound. Some might cringe at his vocal styling, but I find it fits in its own weird way. Unfortunately I was not sent lyrics to this album.

5-4-3-2-1 Perhaps flows much like Tweet Tweet My Lovely did in the sense that there’s a mix material that ranges from straightforward rock to blistering fast tunes. “Mumbo Jumbo” lights up the album with the fastest and hardest tracks, and is backed up by “Rat Run”, a more bouncy (yet solid) tune. The poppy “EFL” comes across with a sound like Madness (“The Sun and The Rain” comes to mind). There are two versions of “In The Stocks” featured on the album, one being the electric version that opens up the album, and the acoustic version that closes the album.

In all, a solid record that flows really well as a whole and only solidifies the fact I really should look into checking out their other albums.

(Fat Wreck Chords, 2196 Palou Ave., San Francisco, CA 94124)

LESS THAN JAKE – Greeting & Salutations

Greetings & Salutations is the latest release from ska-punk veterans Less Than Jake. While this 12-song effort is considered a full length album, the reality is that this is simply their two last EPs – Greetings From Less Than Jake and Seasons Greetings From Less Than Jake — combined into one full-length collection. There are also two unreleased songs that appear on the album, “View From The Middle” and “Flag Holders Union.” Apparently, Greetings and Seasons Greetings didn’t get much attention from the LTJ fan base, as releases were only available online and at live shows. The two releases were also put out by LTJ’s own record label, Sleep It Off — thus limiting distribution and availability.

With Greetings & Salutations being released in the US on Fat Wreck, the hope is to get the newer material into the hands of the fans. Those happy with Less Than Jake’s newer material will appreciate the sound featured here — straightforward rock backed by horns with a touch of ska guitar. For those of you who missed the two last EP releases, this proves to be a great chance to catch up on LTJ’s post GNV FLA material.

(Fat Wreck Chords, 2196 Palou Ave., San Francisco, CA 94124)