The Bare Minimum has me questioning the stereotype that all Canadians are painfully nice. I mean I bet the dudes in the band are perfectly sweet, but if Sink to the Top is any indication, they’ve got a bunch of rage boiling beneath the surface. I keep thinking they sound a lot like The Offspring, but then they’ll slap on a sweet thrash metal riff or growl just to throw me off the scent. Regardless, at a time when most punk bands are copies of copies, The Bare Minimum manages to keep their music interesting and their skills honed. –Simone Carter (Self-released, [email protected], thebareminimum.ca)