You’re gonna need this if you like catchy but can’t stand snotty. Sweet Soul sound exactly like the long-haired pop punk that Cruz Records was putting out in the late ’80s: early All, Big Drill Car, the Chemical People... We’re talkin’ tender, strummy, and catchy alt-inflected melodic punk with warm, melancholy vocals. It’s a smooth, hook-laden ride—and a pretty quick one, too, with ten songs on 45. I just sent the Bandcamp link to one of my friends from high school, and told him to gas up the busted Ford Taurus we used to cruise around the outskirts of Richmond on weekend nights. From California, with members of Reclaim and Head To Wall. –Chris Terry (newmoralityzine.bandcamp.com)