An interesting side effect of the punk music blog culture and the availability of obscure tunes via Bloodstains and Killed by Death compilations is a whole generation (or two, or three) of newer groups who, in their zeal to play like their heroes of yore, manage to come up with a sound that shows the past’s influence yet somehow keeps things from becoming an exercise in musical necrophilia. The Briefs, The Spits, and The Regulations are the most obvious examples, and Crisis Hotlines do an admirable job of keeping the stale scent of mothballs from permeating their songs. The four tunes here keep things fun and energetic, catchy without being syrupy, and clearly influenced without being overtly nostalgic. Thumbs up.
–jimmy (myspace.com/kenrockrecords)