I have not enjoyed this band before. As in, I’ve seen them at some point and wasn’t feeling it. This means next to nothing. Maybe I didn’t want to watch an opening band that night but tried anyway. Maybe they weren’t on that night. Maybe I was in a bad mood. Maybe I got them mixed up with Drowning Pool. It really could be anything. Hopefully, my judgment was clouded and I won’t have to dis my Seattle brethren. I’ll just spin it with an open mind. Here goes. Why don’t y’all stay with me on this one? *Starts record and sits down with liner notes Hmm. Hmm. Multi-media. Plastic sleeve is screened with an ancient map of Seattle that meshes with the cardboard sleeve which has an aging photo of a very old Seattle. Swell layout. I like. Oh hi, Mt. Rainier right there in the liner notes. Hey! The song is about Mt. Rainier, too! It’s a gang vocal song about returning home to Ol’ Rainier. Yeah! *Sings along “By the bricks of Ol’ Rainier/ We will keep pushing on until the battle is won, by the bricks of old Rainier.” I can get behind that. Now let’s give it a flip. Got some scratchy but high and whispery vocals going on here. Reminds me of A Radio With Guts. It’s a little slow for punk, kind of rock’n’roll. More regional pride, referencing Puget Sound: “our hearts in are in the Sound/ wherever we roam, it carries us home/ our hearts are in the Sound.” I have to admit the Washington pride is a bit heavy-handed and sappy and I’m not sure how much someone from, say, Sheboygan, would relate, but no complaints here from their target audience. In fact, I’m going to get up and give it another spin. Yep, it’s a keeper. –Craven Rock (Pirates Press)