The Riptides have been tearing up Ottawa (you know, capital of the future 51st state . . .) for more than 25 years. Now they bring their talents to Pirates Press. Replete with an enviable guest list (members of Screeching Weasel, the Queers, All American Rejects, etc.) and recorded at the now-venerable Blasting Room, this sounds just like you might imagine: Punchy punk with plenty of oozin'-ahs, political broadsides and not one single song out of 15 that clocks in at three minutes.

The Riptides Burn After Listening (Pirates Press)

So, if you've been jonesing for the apex years of Epitaph and SoCal punk in general, the Riptides are happy to comply (even if the geography is off). And yes, this does sound a lost album from Lagwagon (or Queers, or . . .). Go soak your head if that's a problem. This sucker arrives, tears a few new ones and leaves quickly, with some serious earworm residue.

And, yes, Descendents/ALL are also fair comparisons (especially "She's the Most", which is almost an answer song to "She's My Ex"). Not only was this recorded in Ft. Collins, these tight songs are punctuated by a certain lead guitar sound that is instantly recognizable to those of us who actually lived through the first iteration of this sound.

Kind of a nostalgia trip, but also an almost exact reminder what got us through the Reagan/Bush years. I think we need that now. Time to repeat and fuel the resistance. Feel the burn, and then do something about it.

Jon Worley