For a while the future looked pretty bleak for Neighborhood Brats. Not long after the release of their debut album Recovery, the band announced that they’d be taking a hiatus. Core members Jenny and George needed some time to figure out what they were doing after another rhythm section had moved on. For all intents and purposes, it was a far too premature end for one of the best bands to come out of the last decade. Then the great Night Shift single came out and murmurs of a new LP made the rounds. Well, rumors became a reality and the Brats are back with their second album. Scorching from beginning to end, Claw Marks shows us a new side of Neighborhood Brats. It is a damn near perfect blend of the early singles’ scrappy, nothing to lose attitude with the darker, more ethereal feel of Recovery. The result is an album that is incredibly cohesive. The songs move along quickly and sound really upbeat even though the lyrical content is often as serious as a heart attack. It is a cool feeling to be along for the ride with a band right from the beginning and listening to them grow into the band they’ve been destined to become. This album helps Neighborhood Brats take that next leap in my life from band I love to band that is one of my favorites of all time and completely indispensable to me. If you already know, you know. If you don’t, give your head a shake and get this record. –Ty Stranglehold (Dirt Cult)