Big-budget street punk along the same lines as Street Dogs or the less-corny, less-Irish Dropkick Murphys tracks. Luckily, Hostage Life forgoes the typical lyrical content of the aforementioned bands and their contemporaries in favor of intelligent socio-political commentary with an earnest, personal slant. There’s even a Wire cover tacked on the end of this that leans the record in an even more thought-provoking direction—certainly a rarity within the genre. This is the first release on the Ontario-based Black Pint Records label, and if the quality of the songs, production, and packaging found here is indicative of their game plan, I’ll be sure to keep my eye out for upcoming releases. –Dave Williams
–guest (Black Pint, www.myspace.com/blackpintrecords)